Ohio State are Round 2 underdogs vs. defensive powerhouse Houston
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Jeremy Perry
It’s the first time in NCAA Tournament history that the Big Ten has sent seven teams to the Round of 32. The Houston Cougars very firmly and easily won their first-round game. Will they put a dent in the Big Ten’s run so far?
Ohio State vs. Houston Odds and Point Spread Analysis
Date: Sunday March 24th, 2019 – Approx. 8:40 PM ET (30 minutes after Buffalo-Texas Tech)
Location: BOK Center – Tulsa, Oklahoma
After Friday’s win, the Buckeyes have now covered five straight neutral site contests. However, they are just 6-9 ATS and 5-10 SU in their last 15 as an underdog. Interestingly enough, Houston is just 2-10 ATS in their last 12 as a neutral site favorite of 3.5 to six points. They are 14-9 ATS this season versus teams with a winning record and now 8-4 ATS in non-conference contests. Short rest is also a factor now that the teams had just one day off in between games. Both are 1-1 straight up this season when playing on one day’s rest.
Woods and Wesson lead scoring for Ohio State
The Buckeyes used 21 points from Kaleb Wesson and 19 points from Keyshawn Woods to beat Iowa State, 62-59. The Buckeyes were strong on defence, limiting Iowa State to six-of-22 shooting from three-point range and allowing only 10 free throws. Along with the 12 turnovers forced, that’s the type of smart, defensively play that could get them into the Sweet 16.
The question is can Ohio State duplicate that against a very different opponent? Truth be told, as talented as Iowa State can be, they were also wildly inconsistent this season. Was the first round just a bad game for them or a good game for Ohio State? Houston ranks 22nd in the KenPom offensive efficiency rating as their unit piled up 84 points in the first round. This will be a much tougher test for the Buckeyes.
Exceptional defense defines the Houston Cougars
Houston is scored 84 in their opener but their defence was stellar too. They’re an exceptional defensive team and the win over the Georgia State Panthers. They held them to 55 points, holding the Panthers to just 30% from the field and 23% from three. It was a clinical performance for Houston, which was extremely sharp in the opening round.
Ohio State is bigger and tougher, but Houston still has the far better defence in this game. The Cougars know that the key to their success is stopping Wesson. Ohio State is 4-2 in the last six games that he’s played, so he’s crucial to their success. However, if they clamp down on him and the Buckeyes don’t get hot from three (this team was 183rd in the country in three-point field goal percentage), the Cougars should win and cover the spread.
Buckeyes vs. Cougars Final Score Prediction
Cougars 66, Buckeyes 55
Check out Sports Interaction’s latest odds on all 2019 March Madness match-ups right here.