2013 College Basketball Odds and Picks: Michigan @ Ohio St Predictions – Free College Basketball Picks

2013 College Basketball Picks: Michigan @ Ohio St Vegas Odds and Predictions – Free College Basketball Picks 1/13/2013: Although Michigan and Ohio State will always primarily be a football rivalry, recent strides by both basketball programs has added some spice to the hardcourt, as well. Sunday afternoon, the rivalry will be renewed as the second-ranked Wolverines (16-0, 3-0 Big Ten) head to Columbus to face the 15th-ranked Buckeyes (12-3, 2-1 Big Ten). Not only will the game have major implications on the Big Ten title race, but with top-ranked Duke falling Saturday, Michigan can assume the top spot in the country with a win. You know the Buckeyes would love to prevent that and pick up a big win in the process. Playing at home, Ohio State is a two-point favorite.

Led by a loaded backcourt, Michigan has one of the best offensive attacks in the country. Point guard Trey Burke is the engine that makes the 10th-best scoring offense run, and he is averaging a team-high 18.2 points and 7.3 assists this season. Fellow guards Tom Hardaway Jr. and Nik Stauskas are also averaging nearly 30 points per game combined, and all three players have hit at least 28 3-pointers this season. Meanwhile, freshman big man Glenn Robinson III has provided a solid inside presence, giving the Wolverines four players averaging at least 12.6 points per game. The team as a whole ranks fourth in the country in field goal percentage.

It has been a year of transition for Ohio State. After having excellent balance in the paint and on the perimeter on offense in each of the past two years, the departure of players like Jared Sullinger and William Buford has left the Buckeyes without a lot of scoring depth. Granted, forward Deshaun Thomas is a star, and he leads the team with 20.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. However, Lenzelle Smith Jr. is the only other player averaging double figures, and he is scoring just 10.7 points per game. As a result the Buckeyes rank just 47th in scoring this year and rank outside the top 50 in field goal percentage. On the flip side, Ohio State has plenty of athletic players and a deep rotation, and the Buckeyes can apply plenty of defensive pressure. In fact, point guard Aaron Craft is one of the best perimeter defenders in the country, and OSU has a top 25 scoring defense.

The Wolverines Win If:

Michigan has a big advantage in offensive firepower in this matchup, and it needs to exploit it. In particular, the Wolverines can put some serious pressure on the inconsistent Ohio State offense by knocking down shots from the perimeter. Michigan has hit 30 more 3-pointers than OSU this season and is shooting 41.1 percent as a team from beyond the arc compared to 36.9 percent of the Buckeyes. If the Wolverines get their offense rolling and force Ohio State to try to keep pace, they are going to be in great shape. Defensively, Michigan needs to make Thomas work for his points. If he needs 20-plus shots to get to his 20.3 point per game average, the Wolverines should roll to a win.

The Buckeyes Win If:

It is pretty simple for Ohio State. Thomas has to have a strong game offensively in order for the Buckeyes to keep pace with Michigan. If he is dialed in and has an efficient 25-plus point game, OSU has a chance. If he is cold, the Buckeyes just don’t have the supporting cast to score enough points. Defensively, Craft has to make life miserable for Burke in order to disrupt the Michigan offense as a whole. If Craft gets the better of Burke and Thomas has his stroke, the Buckeyes could overcome their disadvantage in offensive firepower and pull off the upset.

Bottom Line:

Although all three of the Buckeyes’ losses have come against teams ranked 11th or better, it is tough to ignore the fact that Ohio State just hasn’t been able to get over the hump against top teams. Not to mention the fact that two of those losses were to Duke and Illinois, and both of those teams have plenty of perimeter firepower just as Michigan does. Ohio State has a roster full of athletic players, but only Thomas is a reliable, polished scorer. The Buckeyes’ lack of balance on offense has been exposed in all three big games this year, and will be evident again Sunday. Ohio State will come out with plenty of intensity on defense with the home crowd behind them, but the Buckeyes will wear down in the second half as they have in all three losses and the Wolverines will take advantage.

Prediction: Michigan Wolverines (+2) Cover the Spread

Michigan @ Ohio St
Line: Ohio St -2
Total: Over/Under 138.5
Time: 1:30 PM EST on CBS

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