Buckeyes vs. Wildcats Prediction
A battle of top 10 teams is on the docket this evening as the sixth-ranked Kentucky Wildcats take on the fifth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in Las Vegas. Which side will come out on top in the CBS Sports Classic?
Game Snapshot
737 Kentucky Wildcats vs. 738 Ohio State Buckeyes
Saturday, December 21, 2019
T-Mobile Arena at 5:15PM ET
TV: CBS
Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our NCAA Basketball Odds & Betting Page
According to oddsmakers, the Buckeyes are a 4-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under sits at 131.5 points. As of Saturday morning, exactly 50 percent of public bets are siding with Kentucky and OSU. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for up-to-date info.
Buckeyes dominate Redhawks
Ohio State picked up an 80-48 home win Tuesday night over Southeast Missouri to improve to 10-1 overall and 9-0 at home. Kaleb Wesson led the Buckeyes with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting including 3-of-4 from 3-point distance plus 3-of-4 at the free throw line. He also notched 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. Andre Wesson contributed 14 points, three assists and two boards. Kyle Young tallied 10 points and nine caroms. D.J. CArton added 10 points and five rebounds. Ohio State outscored the Redhawks 45-22 in the second half to pull away.
Wildcats fall to Utes
Kentucky was upset by a 69-66 score Wednesday night versus Utah in Las Vegas to drop to 8-2 on the season. The Wildcats trailed 35-31 at halftime en route to the loss. Tyrese Maxey paced Kentucky with 18 poins on 7-of-13 shooting plus 4-of-6 at the charity stripe in 29 minutes of action. Ashton Hagans added 16 points, eight assists, four steals and three rebounds.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Ohio State
The Buckeyes are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games overall. Ohio State is 6-1 ATS in its last seven neutral site games.
Kentucky
The Wildcats are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games overall. Kentucky is 4-1 ATS in its last five games as an underdog.
Prediction:
Ohio State is 10th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and even better defensively (4th), while the Wildcats lag behind a bit offensively. While the Buckeyes have played most of their games at home, they have at least played a tougher schedule over the last month than Kentucky. This ought to be a great game and I see OSU getting the necessary spots down the stretch to pick up the win and cover the relatively short spread.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL DAILY PREDICTION: OHIO STATE BUCKEYES -4