Ohio State Buckeyes vs Kentucky Wildcats NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24
Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Buckeyes versus the Wildcats? Tip off is at at 5:30 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on CBS. The game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. This non-conference matchup has an over/under of 160.5 points, and Kentucky is favored by -8.5 vs. Ohio State.
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES VS KENTUCKY WILDCATS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes +8.5
This game will be played at Madison Square Garden at 5:30 ET on Saturday, December 21st.
WHY BET THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-73 in favor of the Wildcats.
- Even though we have Kentucky winning straight-up, we like Ohio State at +8.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 160.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 148 points.
Will the Buckeyes Defense Show Up in New York?
Ohio State improved to 7-4 on the season with a 95-73 win over Valparaiso on Tuesday. The Buckeyes, who were heavy favorites at -21, covered the spread in the victory.
Ohio State led 41-30 at halftime and scored 54 points in the second half while allowing 43. The total points for the game reached 168, surpassing the O/U line of 149.5.
Ohio State put up 95 points in their last game, shooting 54.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 59%. They were dominant inside, hitting 64.3% of their two-point attempts, while struggling from beyond the arc, going 6-for-19 (31.6%). At the free-throw line, they were efficient, knocking down 23-of-27 for 85.2%.
Devin Royal led the way with 31 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 68.8% from the field. All Wright added 22 points, and Bruce Thornton contributed 14 points and a team-high 6 assists. Evan Mahaffey was perfect from the field, making all 6 of his shots.
Ohio State’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 73 points on 54% shooting from the field. The Buckeyes allowed their opponents to hit 64% of their two-point attempts, with 27 makes on 42 tries.
From beyond the arc, Ohio State’s defense held their opponents to 31% shooting, with 6 made threes on 19 attempts. The Buckeyes also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 27 times, where they converted 23 of those attempts for 85%.
Is A Home Victory Likely for the Favored Wildcats?
On Saturday, December 14th, the Wildcats improved to 10-1 on the season with a 93-85 home win over the Cardinals. Kentucky entered the game as -9.5 point favorites but didn’t cover the spread.
Kentucky led 46-40 at halftime and scored 47 points in the 2nd half while allowing 45. The combined points of 178 exceeded the O/U line of 160.
Kentucky’s offense was on fire in their last game, putting up 93 points with a field goal percentage of 58.2%. They were particularly deadly from beyond the arc, hitting 52.4% of their threes, and their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 69.1%.
Lamont Butler was perfect from the field, going 10/10 overall and 6/6 from three, finishing with 33 points and 6 assists. Chucky Hepburn added 26 points and 5 assists, while Terrence Edwards Jr. contributed 23 points, hitting 5 of 7 threes.
Despite Kentucky’s defensive efforts, they couldn’t contain their opponents, giving up 85 points on 58% shooting. The Wildcats struggled to defend inside, allowing 61% shooting on two-point attempts.
From beyond the arc, Kentucky’s defense allowed 11 threes on 52% shooting. They also sent their opponents to the line 28 times, where they hit 18 free throws.