Ohio State Looks to Cover Seventh Straight Road Contest

After letting a late lead slip away to Michigan on Sunday afternoon, No. 4-ranked Ohio State (18-5 SU, 14-8-1 ATS) looks to begin a new win streak to finish out the month. The Buckeyes take on unranked Michigan State (12-9 SU, 6-15 ATS), which has won four of the last five games in this matchup and covered the spread in all five.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Ohio State, which has covered the spread in five of its last six overall and in six straight on the road, opened as a moderate 5.5-point favorite against an underperforming Michigan State team. The Buckeyes line has moved back slightly to the -5 mark while the total has remained steady at an awfully high 148.

Ohio State News & Notes

Sportsbooks of seven of their last eight, the Buckeyes have been averaging over 83 points per game in the month of February. They have struggled in recent seasons vs the Spartans, winning just once in the past five meetings.

E.J. Liddell is the heart and soul of this team, topping the Buckeyes with 15.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. The sophomore is coming off an impressive double-double against the Wolverines, putting up a smooth 23 and 10.

Although Liddell may be the MVP, junior guard Duane Washington logs the most minutes on the team and is coming off a 30-point outburst in the loss to Michigan.

Michigan State News & Notes

Despite an underwhelming campaign for the Spartans, Tom Izzo has his team playing its best basketball of the season, coming off back-to-back upsets of Illinois and Indiana as hefty underdogs in both games.

The veteran squad, which scored 81 and 78 points against those above-average defensive teams, has now established a rhythm and needs to make a push within the conference to establish its case to make the NCAA Tournament.

Junior forward Aaron Henry has taken control of the Spartans offense, leading the team in scoring the past three games. Most recently, Henry netted 20 points and played all but one minute in the win over Illinois.

Izzo also relies heavily on senior Joshua Langford, who averages just over 10 points per contest.

Betting Pick: UNDER 148.5

Both teams have been on an offensive tear and are overdue for a cooldown. With Michigan State holding opponents below 70 points at home this season and with oddmakers setting the highest total in this matchup in over five years, the UNDER is the way to go.