Michigan at Ohio State


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The top-ranked and undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes look to remain unbeaten Wednesday when they host the Michigan Wolverines in a Big Ten rivalry game. You can catch this contest on ESPN at 7:00 EST tonight if you are a fan of either team, watching just to watch, or wagering on it. For those of you who partake in betting, you will find the odds featuring a line of Ohio State -16.5 over Michigan with a total set of 130.5 points.

Ohio State (22-0, 9-0) may be unbeaten, but it hasn’t come easy. They are winning all of their clase games, including a 58-57 victory over Northwestern over the weekend. This game was tied 57-57 late, but David Lighty’s steal with 15 seconds left set up a chance for the Buckeyes to win in regulation. Jared Sullinger was fouled and hit one of two free throws to give Ohio State the lead. Drew Crawford missed the potential game-winning 3-point attempt for the Wildcats as time expired. The victory gave the Buckeyes their second-best start in program history.

The Buckeyes are led by Big Ten and National Player of the Year candidate, Jared Sullinger. The freshman is scoring 18.0 points and grabbing 9.9 rebounds per game this season. These teams met up once already this season, with Ohio State prevailing 68-64 despite not making a field goal over the final 8:46. The Buckeyes did put down 11 free throws to ice the game. The Wolverines had an answer for Sullinger, limiting him to just 12 points and seven rebounds while forcing six turnovers from the freshman. William Buford picked up the slack with 19 points. The Buckeyes are now 12-2 in their last 14 meetings with the Wolverines. Ohio State is also 34-1 in their last 35 home games and have won six in a row over Michigan in Columbus.

Michigan (13-9, 3-6) will certainly have to overcome a bad history if they are to pull off the upset. The Wolverines are 1-21 against the No. 1 team in the land all-time. They should come in with the confidence knowing they nearly beat this team already, plus they are playing well right now. Michigan beat then-No. 25 Michigan State on Thursday and also topped Iowa 87-73 on Sunday. The Wolverines had lost six straight before that win in East Lansing, and it was their first victory of the season against a ranked opponent.

The Wolverines come into this contest having just shot a season-high 58.9 percent in their victory over the Hawkeyes. Tim Hardaway Jr. led the way with 19 points, while Jordan Morgan pitched in 17. It was the highest point output of any team in a Big Ten game under John Beilein in his four season at Michigan. They’ll have their hands full with Ohio State Thursday as the Buckeyes rank eighth in the country in scoring defense (57.5). Darius Morris leads the team in scoring (15.4), assists (7.2) and steals (1.2) and is one of the more underrated players in the conference.

Projected Score at BetOnline: Ohio State 73 – Michigan 57

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