The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will be at Value City Arena to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in a Big Ten matchup. The game starts at 6:30 pm ET on Wednesday, Jan. 13 and will air on BTN.
The Buckeyes lost big to Indiana 85-60 on Sunday. JaQuan Lyle was the game’s high scorer, contributing 29 points. The Scarlet Knights, meanwhile, are coming off an ugly 90-56 loss at the hands of Nebraska on Saturday. Mike Williams had a team-high 22 points.
The Ohio State defense should have a clear edge in terms of eFG%. It ranks 20th in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 44.1%), while the Rutgers offense is 308th with a mark of 46.3%.
The Buckeyes are attempting to build on their records of 11-6 Straight Up (SU) and 8-9 Against The Spread (ATS). Opposing offenses have been stifled by the Buckeyes, who allow a field goal percentage of only .381. An area where the Buckeyes are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 6.1 blocks per game, 10th in Division I.
Across the court, Rutgers has a SU record of 6-11 and an ATS record of 6-6.
The conference rivals will be facing off in their first head-to-head clash of the season. When they last met the Buckeyes were winners, moving their SU record against Rutgers to 1-0. Additionally, with a 1-0 record, Ohio State has the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – OhioSt, ATS Winner – OhioSt
Notes
Ohio State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Ohio State’s last 10 games.
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Ohio State sits at 3-1 SU against conference rivals, while winless Rutgers is 0-4 SU against its foes.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have a defensive rating of 94.7 (ranked 36th), while the Rutgers Scarlet Knights have an offensive rating of 96.2 (ranked 312th).
Ohio State has an average field goal percentage of 45.2%. Rutgers is an abysmal 1-8 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Ohio State is 123rd and 112th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Rutgers ranks 308th and 279th in these categories.
Ohio State, the 10th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 6.1 per game. Rutgers ranks lower at 148th with 3.7.
Rutgers ranks 205th in offensive rebounds, while Ohio State ranks at 42nd in defensive rebounds.
Ohio State has forced an average turnover rate of 18.5% this season. In games where its turnover rate is 18.5% or higher, Rutgers is an even 4-4.
