The Ohio State Buckeyes and Wisconsin Badgers will meet for the second time this season. In the first meeting, the Buckeyes dominated Wisconsin at home, winning 73-55.
Tonight, Wisconsin will be the home team. The Badgers only have two losses on the year but, again, one of those came against the Buckeyes.
The Badgers haven’t been great offensively, on paper, but the defense continues to help Wisconsin find ways to win. Will that be the case in tonight’s game on ESPN2? Here are our college basketball picks and predictions for Ohio State vs Wisconsin on January 13.
Ohio State vs Wisconsin odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
WRITER ANALYSIS (Where it opened, line moves at time of writing).
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until tip-off and be sure to check out the full college basketball odds before placing your bets.
Ohio State vs Wisconsin predictions
Predictions made on 1/13/2022 at 8:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2021-22 college basketball season, here are two of the best welcome bonuses available:
USA: Sign up with Caesars and get your first bet matched up to $1,001! Claim Now
Canada: Bet $1, get $100 in free bets when you sign up with BetVictor! Sign Up Now
Ohio State vs Wisconsin game info
• Location: Stadium, City, State
• Date: Thursday, January 13, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN2
Ohio State at Wisconsin betting preview
Injuries
Ohio State: Seth Towns F (Out), Justice Sueing F (Out)
Wisconsin: Jahcobi Neath G (Out).
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Buckeyes are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games as a road underdog. Find more NCAA betting trends for Ohio State vs. Wisconsin.
Ohio State vs Wisconsin picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
Wisconsin hasn’t looked great on paper offensively this season. But, despite those poor numbers, the Badgers are 13-2 on the season and are ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll.
The Badgers are also favorites, at home, against an Ohio State team that already beat Wisconsin by 18 about a month ago.
At this point, you can likely guess where I’m going with this.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are shooting a 56.7% effective field goal percentage this season while hitting 39.2% of threes and 55.1% of shots inside the arc. Ohio State will turn the ball over more frequently in comparison to Wisconsin, but ultimately, Ohio State will shoot more efficiently in this game.
On the other hand, Wisconsin is shooting a 47.2% effective field goal percentage while only knocking down 29.6% from long range and 48.8% from inside the arc.
Again, the Badgers turn the ball over just 12.1% of the time, which is second in the nation. By doing this, Wisconsin is able to miss more shots because it will usually end up with more attempts than its opponent.
Wisconsin has held opponents to a 48.6% effective field goal percentage but is really a true threat when it comes to forcing turnovers. Teams can still get quality looks from outside with Wisconsin allowing teams to shoot 34.2% from long range on the season.
Therefore, I like Ohio State to get the job done on the road. I don’t think this game will be another 18-point win, but I do like Ohio State to come out on top. Defensively, Ohio State has done very well, holding teams to an effective field goal percentage of 46.2%.
If Ohio State can limit offensive rebounds, they’ll be in great shape to cover here.
Prediction: Ohio State +3.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
I would say that the total is pretty much on point here. Despite Wisconsin being a terrific defense, it allowed Maryland to score 69 points and ended up scoring 87 points against Iowa in an 87-78 victory.
Conversely, Ohio State is coming off a game against Northwestern that finished 95-87.
Therefore, I think we will see at least one team surpass 70 points. And I wouldn’t be shocked if both teams ended up over 70 to push this game Over.
Prediction: Over 139 (-110)
Best bet
Ohio State already beat Wisconsin by 18 points a month ago. The Badgers are fully healthy now, but still, I’d much rather take the points with Ohio State, knowing what they’re capable of against Wisconsin.
For the Badgers, it’s mostly the Johnny Davis show. If he struggles offensively, Wisconsin won’t be able to win many games. Of course, recently, he hasn’t really struggled, but eventually, it’s going to happen.
Give me Ohio State +3.5.
Pick: Ohio State +3.5 (-110)
Did you know that if you parlayed our Ohio State vs. Wisconsin picks, you could win $26.45 on a $10 bet?
Use our college basketball parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
