Thursday, February 23, 2017

Value City Arena

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The Wisconsin Badgers travel to Value City Arena to play the Ohio State Buckeyes on Thursday, February 23, 2017. The opening line for this game has Wisconsin as 4.5 point favorites.

The Badgers come into this game with an overall record of 22-5 and a road record of 5-3. They are 11-12 against the spread and their over/under record is 10-11. The Buckeyes have an overall record of 15-13 and a home record of 12-5. They have an over/under record of 15-11 and they are 9-17 against the spread.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other NCAA basketball games check out our handicapping tips.

Ethan Happ comes into this contest averaging 14.7 points per game while playing 27.4 minutes per night so far this season for the Badgers. He pulls down 9 rebounds per game and dishes out 2.9 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 61% while his free throw percentage is currently at 52%. Nigel Hayes averages 13.6 points per game in 31.7 minutes per contest this season. He averages 2.8 assists per contest and 6 rebounds per game for Wisconsin. His field goal percentage is 45% for the year while his free throw percentage is 62%.

Jae'Sean Tate averages 14 points per game while playing 31.7 minutes per contest this year for the Buckeyes. He grabs 6.1 rebounds per game and has 1.9 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 54% and his free throw percentage currently is at 58%. Marc Loving averages 12.6 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 33.6 minutes per contest. He also averages 4.8 rebounds per contest and 1.9 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 43% and his free throw percentage is 74%.

Wisconsin averages 73.1 points per contest this season which ranks them 168th in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 12.6 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team which has them ranked 103rd. Behind the arc they shoot 34% which is good for 202nd in the country. They average 38.4 rebounds per game and 14 assists per game which ranks them 46th and 123rd in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 31st with 11.3 per game. The Badgers allow 60.5 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 4th in the nation. They also allow a 41% shooting percentage and a 37% average from behind the arc ranking them 30th and 267th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 30 rebounds a game which ranks 9th and they give up 10 assists per contest which puts them in 7th place in the country. They force 13.3 turnovers per game which ranks them 163rd in Division 1.

Ohio State averages 72.4 points per game this year which ranks them 186th in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 3.5 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team which has them sitting in the 83rd spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 34% which is good for 207th in the nation. They average 37.5 rebounds per game and 13.8 assists per contest which ranks them 70th and 140th respectively. In the turnover department the Buckeyes rank 188th with 13.4 per game. The Buckeyes allow 68.8 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 79th in the country. They also allow a 41% shooting percentage and a 35% average from behind the arc ranking them 47th and 166th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 35.4 rebounds a game which ranks 178th and they give up 13.1 assists per contest which puts them in 157th place in the nation. The Buckeyes force 12.3 turnovers per game which ranks them 251st in college basketball.

The Badgers average 68.1 points per game on the road this season and they have scored 62.7 ppg in their past 3 contests. They have an average scoring differential of 2 on the road and in their past 3 games their difference is -0.7 per contest. The Badgers have an offensive rating of 111.3 and they assist on 52.8% of their shots. In terms of pace they average 64.8 possessions per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage is 52%. As a team they have a true shooting percentage of 54% and they shoot 3 pointers on 36% of their shots. Wisconsin turns the ball over an average of 14.4 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 10.6% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 56.1% while their offensive rebound percentage is 37%. The Badgers give up 66.1 points per game on the road this season and they have surrendered 63.3 points per contest in their last 3 games.

The Buckeyes score 74 ppg at home and they have averaged 66.7 points per contest in their last 3 games.They have an average scoring differential of -6 in their past 3 contests and at home this season they have a difference of 9.8 points per game. The Buckeyes have a rating on offense of 104.8 and 53% of their shots are assisted. They possess the ball 68.7 times per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage for the year is 52%. As an offensive unit they have a true shooting percentage of 55% and they attempt 3 pointers on 33% of their shots. Ohio State turns it over an average of 16.9 times per 100 possessions and they steal the ball on 7.6% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 51.5% while their offensive rebound percentage for the season is 30.1%. The Buckeyes give up 64.2 points per contest at home this year and they have given up 72.7 points per game in their past 3 contests.

Wisconsin Badgers Betting Trends

The Wisconsin Badgers are 11-12 against the spread

The Wisconsin Badgers are 10-11 against the over/under

Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Trends

The Ohio State Buckeyes are 9-17 against the spread

The Ohio State Buckeyes are 15-11 against the over/under

Wisconsin Badgers Injuries

02/22/17 G Bronson Koenig Calf probable Thursday vs. Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes Injuries

01/05/17 F Keita Bates-Diop Leg out for season

Guy's Pick: Take Ohio State +4.5

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