Our Marshall vs Ohio State prediction looks at a non-conference game in Columbus where the market asks a lot of the favorite. Ohio State is a 26-point home favorite with a total of 162.5, which works out to a final score close to 94-68. Ohio State has not reached 90 points in either of their first two games. Marshall arrives from the Sun Belt off a late collapse against Toledo. Below we break down the form, the pace and the price, then land on two picks.
Marshall vs. Ohio State — Time and How to Watch
| Where | Value City Arena at the Schottenstein Center, Columbus Ohio |
| When | November 9 – 6:00 PM ET |
| TV | Big Ten Network |
Marshall vs. Ohio State Betting Preview
Both teams enter at 1-1. Ohio State opened the season with a 94-83 loss at No. 25 BYU in Salt Lake City. Amare Bynum led the way with 20 points, and John Mobley Jr. added 14 points and seven assists. Ohio State then beat Youngstown State 89-65 in their home opener after a slow shooting start. Jake Diebler is in his third season and took this program to the NCAA Tournament last March.
Marshall, coached by Cornelius Jackson, opened with a 92-65 home win over Buffalo behind a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double from Emmanuel Manyuon. Saturday was a different story. Marshall led Toledo 38-27 at halftime, then got outscored 54-38 after the break and fell 81-76 at the Cam Henderson Center. Bryce Slay scored 23 and Noah Otshudi added 22, but no other Marshall player reached double figures.
This is a classic early-season buy game. Ohio State is a Big Ten program, and Marshall is a Sun Belt team playing its third game in eight days. The history is one-sided as well. Marshall has lost both previous meetings with Ohio State, the most recent in Columbus in 2016. Neither school has reported a player unavailable for tonight. Marshall rebounded well in both of its games, which matters for a team trying to keep a margin manageable on the road.
The market opened this game at Ohio State -26 and has held that number since. The only change has been in the price. Ohio State moved from -105 to -110, while Marshall improved from -115 to -110. The total opened at 162.5 and has not moved at all. In contrast to many early-season buy games, there has been no steam in either direction. That leaves the handicap resting on form and situation rather than on a sharp move to follow. Marshall also has a bigger test ahead, with a trip to North Carolina on November 20.
Marshall vs. Ohio State Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall | +26.0 (-110) | +2800 | O 162.5 (-110) |
| Ohio State | -26.0 (-110) | -10000 | U 162.5 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of November 9, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NCAAB Odds – Futures – Props
Marshall vs. Ohio State — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Marshall | 32% | 68% | Ohio State |
See the latest College Basketball Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Marshall vs. Ohio State Prediction — A Scoring Bar Ohio State Has Not Cleared
Start with what the number demands. A 26-point spread and a 162.5 total imply roughly 94 points for Ohio State and 68 for Marshall. Ohio State scored 83 at BYU and 89 against Youngstown State. Neither reached that bar. On the other side, Marshall’s two games finished at 157 combined points each. Both landed below this total.
The shape of a lopsided game also tends to drag scoring down late. Once a margin gets comfortable, deep reserves play the final minutes, possessions slow and shot quality drops. Marshall’s rebounding helps here too. It won the glass 49-38 against Toledo and 37-24 against Buffalo. Limiting second chances is one of the few ways an underdog can shorten a game. Meanwhile, Toledo needed 35 free-throw attempts to score 81 against Marshall, so Marshall’s defense did not hand out many easy baskets.
The case against is pace. Barttorvik lists Marshall’s adjusted tempo at 72.4, 74th in the country, so Marshall will push the ball. Ohio State’s opener at BYU totaled 177 points, which shows how fast this can get. Still, the market has not budged. The total opened at 162.5 and sits there now at the same price, so there is no confirmation either way. At -110 the break-even rate is 52.4%. The recent scoring evidence makes this a reasonable lean rather than a strong one.
The Pick: Under 162.5 (-110)
Marshall vs. Ohio State Prediction — UConn Is Four Days Away
Ohio State travels to UConn on Friday for a national TNT game. That is a classic look-ahead spot. A favorite holding a big lead over a Sun Belt opponent has little reason to chase margin. Resting starters and trimming minutes makes more sense. Marshall, meanwhile, has two capable scorers in Slay and Otshudi and a frontcourt that has controlled the boards. Marshall also led Toledo by double digits before fading, so the ceiling is there for stretches.
The counter is real. Marshall ranks 246th overall at Barttorvik. Its second-half collapse at home is also not a great sign for a road trip to a Big Ten arena. The market also leaned Ohio State’s way. The favorite’s price moved from -105 to -110 at the same number, with 68% of spread tickets on Ohio State. That is movement with the public, which is expected and carries little signal. Be clear that this pick and the under rest on the same input. If Ohio State’s offense stays below its implied 94 points, both have a good chance of cashing, so they are not independent plays.
The Pick: Marshall +26.0 (-110)
Our Final Word on Marshall vs. Ohio State
Ohio State should win this game. The moneyline at -10000 carries a break-even rate of 99%, so there is nothing to gain there. The question is how much Ohio State wins by and how many points they need to get there. Early-season numbers come from tiny samples, so treat every figure here as a guide rather than a verdict. For more early-season college basketball analysis, see our Toledo vs Michigan State prediction and our Houston vs California prediction.
Under 162.5 (-110) is our top play because Ohio State has not yet produced the roughly 94 points this total requires. Marshall +26.0 (-110) follows because Ohio State’s trip to UConn on Friday gives it little reason to run up the margin late.