Halftime Report

Ohio State is on the road but looking no worse for wear. After one quarter, neither squad has the contest in the bag, but Ohio State leads 28-26 over West Virginia.

Ohio State came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.

Who's Playing

West Virginia Mountaineers @ Ohio State Buckeyes

Current Records: West Virginia 5-7, Ohio State 10-2

How To Watch

What to Know

The Ohio State Buckeyes and the West Virginia Mountaineers will round out the year against one another at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Ohio State is hoping to put an end to a ten-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.

Ohio State has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five contests by 20 points or more this season. They took their match at home last Thursday with ease, bagging a 78-36 victory over the Privateers. That 42 points margin sets a new team best for Ohio State this season.

Meanwhile, West Virginia scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Saturday. They came out on top against the Rockets by a score of 91-81.

Among those leading the charge was RaeQuan Battle, who scored 29 points along with four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Kerr Kriisa, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten assists.

The Buckeyes' victory bumped their record up to 10-2. As for the Mountaineers, their victory bumped their record up to 5-7.

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Ohio State have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 39.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like West Virginia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Ohio State is hoping to beat the odds on Saturday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. For those looking to play the spread, watch out: Ohio State is expected to win, but their 2-7 record against the spread as such isn't exactly encouraging.

Odds

Ohio State is a big 9.5-point favorite against West Virginia, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 9.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is set at 146 points.

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Series History

West Virginia won the only game these two teams have played in the last 4 years.

  • Dec 29, 2019 - West Virginia 67 vs. Ohio State 59