The No. 2-ranked Michigan Wolverines are in Columbus, Ohio, to face their rival, the Ohio State Buckeyes, today at 1:00 p.m. ET. These two teams first faced each other this season on January 23, where Michigan won 74-62. Since that contest, Michigan has won three straight games while Ohio State is 2-1 in that span.
Check out my best bet for today’s Michigan vs. Ohio State matchup below.
Michigan vs. Ohio State (1:00 p.m. ET)
Michigan started the season 14-0, then lost its first game to Wisconsin on January 10. Since their first loss of the year, the Wolverines have gotten back on track, winning seven consecutive contests. Michigan enters this game off a dominant 41-point victory against the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Wolevrines leading scorer this season has been Yaxel Ledeborg, who averages 14.3 points. But Michigan’s depth has helped them remain successful throughout the season. Michigan has five double-digit scorers with eight players averaging seven or more points per contest.
Michigan is ranked second on KenPom, right behind Arizona, and has the second-best defensive rating and seventh-best offensive rating. Ohio State is 39th, with the 22nd offensive rating and 73rd defensive rating. The Buckeyes are led by an elite backcourt duo, Bruce Thornton and John Mobley Jr. Thornton averages 19.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, while Mobley averages 15.7 points.
Michigan has won its last seven games by at least 10 points. The last time Michigan won a game by fewer than double digits was on January 6. Ohio State has a top-heavy roster with limited depth, which shouldn’t bode well for them in their second matchup against Michigan. This season, Ohio State is 0-4 against ranked opponents and scored 70 or fewer in three of those games. Even though it is on the road, I’m still riding with Michigan, as they have excelled away from home in Big Ten play.
