Nebraska vs. Ohio State Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Thursday, Feb. 29 (Count on the Cornhuskers)
Here come the Cornhuskers.
Nebraska has won four games in a row and recently got past the covering-machine Minnesota Golden Gophers in a dominant 73-55 win on Sunday. Nebraska is fourth in the Big 10 and looks to further polish up an NCAA Tournament resume with three straight games against the bottom-3 teams in the Big 10, starting with the Buckeyes on Thursday.
Ohio State has won two of three games since firing head coach Chris Holtmann and replacing him with interim Jake Diebler. Both of those wins (vs. Purdue, at Michigan State) were Quadrant 1 victories. Ohio State now returns home as small favorites in a rematch from a January matchup that Nebraska won by 14.
Here’s the betting preview for Thursday’s Big 10 battle with a best bet.
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Nebraska vs. Ohio State Odds, Spread and Total
Nebraska vs. Ohio State Betting Trends
- Nebraska is 18-10 ATS this season
- Ohio State is 11-16-1 ATS this season
- Nebraska is 5-6 ATS as an underdog this season
- Ohio State is 6-11-1 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 17-10-1 in Nebraska games this season
- The OVER is 15-13 in Ohio State games this season
Nebraska vs. Ohio State How to Watch
- Date: Thursday, Feb. 29
- Game time: 6:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: Value City Arena
- How to watch (TV): FS1
- Nebraska record: 20-8 (10-7 Big 10)
- Ohio State record: 16-12 (6-11 Big 10)
Nebraska vs. Ohio State Key Players to Watch
Nebraska
Juwan Gary: The 6-foot-6 junior forward missed two weeks at the end of January but has been great for the Cornhuskers since returning Feb. 1. Gary, who averages 12.1 points and 6 rebounds per game this season, has scored in double figures in five of seven games this month. He was Nebraska’s leading scorer (season-high 22 points) and rebounder (8) in Sunday’s 18-point win over the Golden Gophers.
Ohio State
Jamison Battle: The 6-foot-7 senior forward is expected to play on Thursday after missing the big road win over Michigan State with an ankle injury. Battle is averaging 14.2 points per game this season and is the Buckeyes’ best deep threat, shooting 44% from beyond the arc this season.
Nebraska vs. Ohio State Prediction and Pick
Ohio State has embraced the underdog role this year, but how will they do as a favorite? The Buckeyes have been bad to backers when laying points this season, going 6-11-1 ATS as a favorite. Nebraska has been better on the road this month, beating Indiana and taking ranked Illinois to overtime in an 87-84 loss on Feb. 7.
Nebraska is top-40 in KenPom in both offensive (No. 39) and defensive (No. 32) efficiency. The Cornhuskers have the biggest edge in this matchup on the perimeter on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Nebraska is No. 62 in the nation in 3-point shooting and Ohio State hasn’t been able to contain the perimeter, ranking No. 304 in the country in defending shots from downtown.
On the other side of the ball, Ohio State is No. 207 in 3-point shooting and Nebraska is No. 27 in effective field goal percentage. Ohio State is just eighth in the Big 10 in shooting from 2-point distance, but Nebraska’s defense dominates the paint, ranking No. 13 in KenPom in defending shots from inside the arc.
Ohio State’s offense is No. 35 in efficiency, but the Buckeyes’ best metrics don’t involve shooting. That’s bad news against a Nebraska defense that is No. 1 in the Big 10 in opposing field goal percentage (39.7%). Back the Cornhuskers as a road underdog.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.