Ohio State Buckeyes vs Georgia Bulldogs Prediction, Picks, Odds, Injury Report for 3/26/24

The Ohio State Buckeyes will host one of the four NIT Quarterfinal games on Tuesday night when they play host to the Georgia Bulldogs. The Buckeyes arrive to the show listed as -6.5 favorites on the handicap, as the line setters expect the home team to build on their 13 – 5 record in Columbus, OH. Our Buckeyes vs Bulldogs prediction is for the game to see at least 151 points, but see the article below for a detailed analysis. 

Our resident college hoops expert Ej Garr has a 6 – 2 record over his last 8 offers at bettingexpert. Ej will cover all of the big games in the NIT and the Men’s NCAA Tournaments right through the finals. Ej has done extremely well with his totals this campaign, so will he be expecting a low-scoring affair in Columbus or a shootout to transpire? Let’s see which direction he goes!

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BUCKEYES VS BULLDOGS Prediction – Let there be buckets

• Selection: Match Total Over 150.5 Points
• Best Odds: 1.91
• Bookmaker: Bet365
• Stakes: 4/10

Odds are available as of March 26th, 2024. Odds may now differ.

I don’t think anyone is shocked at the Buckeyes being considerable favorites at home, and that is a big advantage at this stage of a Tournament. This will be the last home game for the Buckeyes, as it will be for all four quarterfinal games in the NIT. Hinkle Fieldhouse will play host to the NIT Final Four this season. That is the final destination for all 8 of these programs.

I have to admit I like points to be scored in this spot, and this total isn’t that intimidating at 150.5. I am expecting an 82 – 75 type of game getting us closer to 160 when the final horn blows, and I will tell you why.

Anyone can see that the Buckeye’s totals are 20 – 14 to the Over and that they have enjoyed being at home for the first two rounds of the NIT. Ohio State broke out for 88 points against Cornell to start this event. Also, an 81 – 73 win against Virginia Tech now has them in the NIT Quarterfinals.

Georgia is not a team that is known for high-scoring affairs, and their O/U is 2 – 0 to the under in their first two NIT games. It’s worth noting to me that Georgia and Xavier played a 78 – 76 game in the first round. That is enough for us to cash this total. Even though that game featured at 157.5 on the total and came in Under, I believe that Georgia can score 75 points tonight.

The Bulldogs feature 9 players who average better than 9 points in the 4 post-season games played. As was the case in the regular season, only two Bulldogs averaged double-digit scoring and the same can be said in the post-season. What’s changed is Justin Hill’s contributions, as he leads the Bulldogs in the post-season with 12.8 PPG.

Hill wasn’t even averaging 9 PPG before the bigger lights turned on. But now the Bulldogs will need that support to come close to Ohio State tonight. I don’t think they can win this game, if I am being honest, and you see I expect 82 points to come from the Buckeyes at home,

Buckeye guard Bruce Thornton led the Buckeyes in the regular season scoring 16.1 PPG, and he is bringing in 13.8 PPG in the post-season. Jamison Battle has been the guy who has stepped up his numbers for the Buckeyes since the SEC and NIT tournaments.

Battle is scoring over 20 points a game in the four post-season games but the amazing stat I see that has changed is the board work. All of a sudden, Battle is paying attention to rebounding in the post-season. Battle averages 7.5 RBG in the post-season after only bringing in 4.8 boards a game during the year.

Ohio State Buckeyes vs Georgia Bulldogs Game Info

• Time: 00:05 UK Time March 27
• Location: Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
• Handicap: Ohio State Buckeyes -6.5 
• Total: O/U 150.5
• Where to Watch: This game will be aired on ESPN

Ohio State Buckeyes News, Injury Report, Schedule

Ohio State is showing two players on the injury report, as Scott Middleton and Austin Parks are likely out of this game. Middleton averaged 8 PPG in the two SEC Tournament games. He left the team for personal reasons dealing with a family matter. It is unknown if he will suit up for this game in time, so check the pregame warmups.

The Buckeyes ended the regular season on a 4 – 0 run headed toward the Big Ten Conference Tournament. Ohio State won its first game against Iowa before losing to Illinois in the next round, and now they are 2 – 0 in the NIT.

The Buckeyes trophy showcase features one NCAA Men’s Tournament win, and two NIT titles in their program history. The first and only NCAA tourney win came in 1960 against California. And their NIT wins were earned in 1986 and 2008.

Georgia Bulldogs News, Injury Report, Schedule

The main reason for the emergence of Justin Hill’s presence is because the Bulldogs lost Jabri Abdur-Rahim to injury. Abdur-Rahim played 29 of the 31 regular season games for Georgia this campaign. He last played on March 2 against Texas A&M. Oh, and he was that other Bulldog player I mentioned who averaged double-digits in the regular season. His absence is significant.

The Bulldogs are still 3 – 1 in the post-season with their only loss being to Florida in the SEC Tournament, 85 – 80.

The Bulldogs have never won any post-season title of any nature in college basketball. Georgia has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 12 times and they never made it to a Championship game. The Bulldogs have played in the NIT 14 times, and a 3rd-place finish is as good as it has gotten.

Ohio State vs Georgia H2H – First Meeting Between Two Programs

This is the first meeting between Ohio State and Georgia. Can I add that I can’t even believe that I am saying that? It’s not so much that these two programs do well in the post-season, but these schools have been around a long time so that is a little shocking to me.

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