No. 2 Ohio State will be a favorite on the Elite Eight odds on Saturday night as they look to advance to the Final Four with a victory over No. 9 Wichita State in their Staples Center contest.
The Buckeyes got past Arizona 73-70 in the Sweet 16 on Thursday but didn't quite manage to cover the 3.5-point spread at the sportsbooks in that contest. The Shockers had no trouble with La Salle last time out, winning 72-58 as a 4.5-point betting favorite.
The Shockers will try to spoil to the party on Saturday; they are 19-14-1 ATS against the number this season, while the Buckeyes are 20-14 ATS. Wichita State is 16-17 on the totals; Ohio State is 14-18-1.
View Wichita State vs Ohio State Odds and Stats.
Ohio State vs Wichita State Betting Lines: The spread opened at -6 for Ohio State but had been bet down to -4.5 as of Friday at Sportsbook. Watch the over under which was bet down to 129 at Sportsbook after Sportsbook near 133.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Power Rankings at Odds Shark show No. 27-rated Wichita State taking on the No. 22-rated Buckeyes in this contest. The scores prediction computer here indicates a possible 76-74 win for the Buckeyes on Saturday.
How They Match Up:
Scoring and defensive stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features Ohio State's No. 100-ranked scoring average of 70.4 PPG, against a Shockers defense rated No. 41 and allowing 60.7 PPG. The Buckeyes FG% has averaged 45.5% to date this season, more than the Shockers shooters have managed so far (44.3% per game).
Defensively, Wichita State features the nation's No. 63-rated defense on the road, allowing 64.7 points per game. Ohio State, meanwhile, comes in at No. 104 nationally in scoring at home.
Wichita State was a 72-58 Sportsbook in its last match at home against La Salle. They covered the 4.5-point spread as favorites. Malcolm Armstead scored 18 points leading the Shockers to a 72-58 victory over La Salle at Staples Center on Thursday.
Ohio State was a 73-70 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against Arizona. They failed to cover the 3.5-point spread as favorites. The Buckeyes grabbed a 73-70 win over the Wildcats on Thursday, behind a 20-point effort from Deshaun Thomas at Staples Center.
