Free NCAA Basketball Picks: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Michigan Wolverines
Saturday, February 18, 2012
by Joe Rodriguez
The time is now for No. 19 Michigan Wolverines if it wants to stake its claim in the Big Ten race. The Wolverines, who are 14-0 at the Crisler Center, find themselves one game out of first place in the conference standings behind co-leaders Michigan State and Ohio State with five games left on their schedule.
However, the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes, who have won six straight in this series, including a 64-49 triumph on Jan. 29 – will present the biggest challenge to Michigan's home winning streak yet as the highest-ranked opponent the Wolverines have faced at Crisler this season.
- Ohio State Buckeyes @ Michigan Wolverines
When: 9:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 18, 2012
Where: Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN3.com
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Justbet Sportsbook currently have the Buckeyes listed as 5½-point favorites versus the Wolverines.
Ohio State Buckeyes (22-4): As one of the top-scoring teams in the conference that leads the Big Ten in scoring margin (18.7) and field goal percentage (48.1), it's not surprising the Buckeyes have lost two of the five games in which they were either held to 67 points or less or shot less than 43.1 percent from the field. Michigan held the Buckeyes to their third-lowest point total of the season and fourth-lowest shooting percentage (42.6) in January. While standout Jared Sullinger struggled in the first meeting, sophomore Lenzelle Smith Jr. emerged with 17 points and 12 rebounds for his only career double-double.
Michigan Wolverines (19-7): The Wolverines are one of two Big Ten teams – along with Michigan State – who are undefeated at home this season. Michigan held Sullinger to 13 points in the teams' first meeting – his low in conference play – and will likely need another strong defensive performance from 6-foot-8, 250-pound Jordan Morgan to reverse its fortunes in this contest. In the four games since the loss to the Buckeyes last month when the Wolverines committed 13 turnovers and shot 35.8 percent from the field, Michigan has averaged only eight turnovers and shot 47.8 percent or better in three of those contests.
1. Ohio State has five wins in eight tries against ranked teams this season.
2. Michigan has shot better than 40 percent from the 3-point line three times in the last four games, one more than it did in its first nine conference games.
3. Sullinger and William Buford each need three rebounds to reach 600 for their careers, which would allow them to become the 18th and 19th players in school history to do so.
BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Buckeyes 67, Wolverines 61.
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crisler arena - jared sullinger - jordan morgan - lenzelle smith jr - michigan wolverines - ohio state buckeyes
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