The Big Ten quarterfinals kick off on Friday, March 13 with Michigan vs. Ohio State at noon ET.
The Wolverines are 29-2 and the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten. They’ll play the Buckeyes for the third time this season.
The Buckeyes are 12.5-point underdogs on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at 154.5 points.
Here’s my prediction, preview and pick for Friday’s Michigan vs. Ohio State matchup.
Michigan vs. Ohio State prediction, preview
Ohio State vs. Michigan is always a treat, and it’s even better in March. The Wolverines are ranked third in the country, so they’re NCAA Tournament bound regardless of this game. The Buckeyes, however, need this win to keep their hopes alive.
Ohio State is 21-11 overall and 12-8 in the Big Ten, so falling short of the Big Ten title will leave its fate up to the committee. A loss this early in the tournament would almost surely keep the team from dancing.
The chances are bleak heading into this game. The Buckeyes lost both matchups against the Wolverines this season by double digits (74-62 and 82-61). Both sides are familiar with each other, which makes for an interesting approach. How much does the game plan change for either side?
Michigan shouldn’t change anything. It’s 29-2 with losses to unranked Wisconsin and No. 3 Duke. Aside from these blips, Michigan is beating ranked squads by double digits regularly. It’s been an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed contender all season.
The one advantage Ohio State has is its momentum. It ended the season on a three-game win streak, defeating No. 8 Purdue, Penn State and Indiana. The Buckeyes followed that up with a victory over Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament to notch four straight wins. Perhaps this is a team getting hot at the right time—the perfect recipe for March.
Michigan vs. Ohio State pick, best bet
Few teams have been as steady as Michigan all season. It survived the Big Ten regular season gauntlet in addition to numerous ranked non-conference games sprinkled throughout the year.
There’s always the possibility of a loss, but it seems so unlikely for the Wolverines. They’ll hold strong in this round, taking down their rival again.
