George Mason tries to mimic its Cinderella run of several years ago when it takes on Ohio State on Sunday in the second round of the East.
Jared Sullinger and the rest of the Buckeye big men are fresh after their first-round rout, but GMU's big men aren't afraid. In our opinion, the Patriots are great value at +11.5 points, which is what they get at Sportsbook at other top sportsbooks.
The Patriots are 23-8 ATS this season so they have been rewarding bettors all season. The total was at 135 or so.
View George Mason vs Ohio State Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
The visitors opened as 11-point underdogs in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 20-ranked Buckeyes and the No. 25-rated Patriots in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 85-79 win for the Buckeyes on Sunday.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Ohio State's No. 20 nationally ranked offense (77 points per game) against a Patriots defense that sits as the No. 27 at 61.4 PPG. The Buckeyes have been averaging 49.5% from the field, more than the Patriots have managed so far this season (47.2% on average).
Defensively, George Mason features the nation's No. 75-rated defense on the road, allowing 67 points per game. Ohio State, meanwhile, comes in at No. 40 nationally in scoring at home.
In their last action, George Mason was a 61-57 Sportsbook against Villanova. They covered the 2–point spread as underdogs.
Ohio State won its last outing, a 75-46 result against Texas-San Antonio on March 18. They covered in that game as a 25.5-point favorite.
George Mason Patriots Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 5-5
After playing Villanova are 2-1
After a win are 9-1
Ohio State Buckeyes Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 7-3
After a win are 8-2
A few Patriots at Buckeyes trends to consider:
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Ohio State's last 9 games
