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Ohio State at Nebraska, Tuesday, January 23, 2024, 7 PM ET, Peacock

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Buckeyes Head to Nebraska for First of Two Road Games This Week - Ohio State

Ohio State at Nebraska
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Buckeyes Head to Nebraska for First of Two Road Games This Week​

Ohio State at Nebraska
Date: January 23, 2024
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, Neb.
Watch: Peacock....:mad2:

Ohio State hits the road this week for a pair of games in what is turning out to be two of the tougher road venues in the conference. First up is a trip to Lincoln to take on Nebraska on Tues-day night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be streamed exclusively on Peacock. Jac Collingsworth and Stephen Bardo will call the action.
  • The Buckeyes are 20-6 all-time against Nebraska and 16-4 since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten Conference prior to the 2011-12 season. Two of Nebraska's six wins have come in the last two meetings but the Buckeyes have won five of the last six games in Lincoln.
  • In last year's lone meeting, Sean McNeil's three-pointer at the buzzer rattled out and Nebraska held on for a 63-60 victory in Lincoln on Jan. 18. Brice Sensabaugh had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
  • Ohio State snapped its three-game losing skid with a 79-67 wire-to-wire victory over Penn State last Saturday. The Buckeyes scored the first 16 points of the game and the Nittany Lions didn't get the deficit into singles digits until the waning moments of the contest. Penn State transfer Evan Mahaffey scored a career-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting the lead the Buckeyes. Felix Okpara scored eight points and grabbed 14 rebounds to go along with three blocks.
  • The Buckeyes are 12-1 this season when hitting the 70-point mark and 8-0 when holding their opponent to fewer than 70 points.
  • The Buckeyes have taken care of the basketball as of late. They have notched their two lowest turnover games each of the last two games, committing a season-low four turnovers at Michigan on Jan. 15 and just six vs. Penn State on Jan. 20. The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten in turnovers forced and averaged nearly 16 opponent turnovers per game over its previous four games leading into Saturday.
  • Roddy Gayle Jr. matched Mahaffey with 16 points in the win over Penn State. He's struggled from deep recently, missing his last 15 three-point attempts. But he has made 16 of his last 17 free throws. Turnovers have also been an issue for him this season and he has had just one in each of the last two games and his 5-assist to 1-turnover game vs. Penn State was just his second Big Ten game this season with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.
  • Devin Royal has made the most of his time off the bench in the last two games. In those games, he has combined to score 15 points in 12:16 of action on 6-of-8 shooting and 3-of-3 from the line.
  • Nebraska knocked-off No. 1 Purdue at home on Jan. 9 and then dropped a pair of road games before rebounding with a solid 75-69 victory over Northwestern on Saturday. Four Cornhuskers average in double figures, led by Keisei Tominaga at 14.5 ppg. He is shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc this season.
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Ohio State vs. Nebraska Predictions, College Basketball BetMGM Promo Codes, & Picks - January 23

Predictions for the Ohio State vs. Nebraska game with odds and picks on the spread and total.
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Ohio State vs. Nebraska Predictions & Picks​

Tuesday's contest features the Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-5, 4-4 Big Ten) and the Ohio State Buckeyes (13-5, 3-4 Big Ten) clashing at Pinnacle Bank Arena in what should be a close matchup, with a projected 74-72 win for Nebraska according to our computer prediction. Game time is at 7:00 PM ET on January 23.

Ohio State vs. Nebraska Score Prediction​

  • Prediction: Nebraska 74, Ohio State 72

Spread & Total Prediction for Ohio State vs. Nebraska​

  • Computer Predicted Spread: Nebraska (-2.1)
  • Computer Predicted Total: 145.7
Nebraska's record against the spread this season is 11-6-0, while Ohio State's is 4-11-0. The Cornhuskers have an 11-6-0 record going over the point total, while games involving the Buckeyes have a record of 8-7-0 when it comes to hitting the over. Nebraska is 6-4 against the spread and 7-3 overall in its past 10 games, while Ohio State has gone 3-7 against the spread and 6-4 overall.
 


OHIO STATE FACES A "TERRIFIC SHOOTING TEAM" IN NEBRASKA TUESDAY, SCOTTY MIDDLETON WILL RETURN AFTER ONE-GAME SUSPENSION​

  • On what Nebraska is doing well: "They've got a great system that they've recruited older transfers to. ... They've really hit the transfer market well and you can see it. ... They've just got a really good team that's a bona fide tournament team, I don't think there's any question."
  • On the challenges of facing the Cornhuskers on the road: "I think it's really gonna test us. ... We're gonna have to be on-point with our defense. ... They're a terrific shooting team."
  • The way that defenses are hedging Ohio State star point guard Bruce Thornton is limiting his ability to generate offense going toward the rim, Holtmann said. "It's really limited his ability to get downhill. ... But it has kind of neutralized that. He's such a strong guard, it's a big reason why he's getting hedged."
  • On whether he's OK with Thornton not scoring a bunch of points as long as he's still playmaking: "I'm OK if we have a good, efficient, effective offense regardless of how it looks for any one individual. ... I love his ability right now to find the open guys. ... He'll make some of the open ones that he's missing and I think his offense will come around."
  • Holtmann wants to see better stretches of play from his bunch on the road over the next handful of games.
  • On whether it takes time for bench players to find their groove during the season: "A little bit. Particularly, it may be a little bit harder for younger players. ... But yeah, it does take a minute." He added that players who embrace their role off the bench will get increased opportunities.
  • On what makes Nebraska star guard Keisei Tominaga so effective: "(It's) his motor. He's incredibly fit. He's got a really quick release."
  • Holtmann said that it will be important for Ohio State to get out to a fast start in its next few road contests. "That's gonna be critical for us in these next couple games."
  • Felix Okpara's offense has improved and his helping suck defenses in for the Buckeyes' perimeter players, Holtmann said. "What he's done a better job of is creating action offensively. ... He's able to slip out of a ball screen, (or) catch it and make a quick decision in a dribble handoff."
  • Scotty Middleton will return to action for Ohio State on Tuesday after serving a one-game suspension for violating team rules "He's a good kid. ... I think sometimes the outside world makes a bigger deal of this than what it is."
  • On new Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork: "I've heard really good things about his ability for fundraising and NIL in this new space, talked to some industry people and heard good things. So I look forward to (working with him)."
 
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Basketball Preview: Nebraska’s Three-Point Shooting, Home Success Present Challenges for Ohio State

Nebraska's three-point shooting and fantastic record at home present major challenges for Ohio State as it looks to snap a 12-game road losing streak.
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BASKETBALL PREVIEW: NEBRASKA’S THREE-POINT SHOOTING, HOME SUCCESS PRESENT CHALLENGES FOR OHIO STATE​

NEED TO KNOW​

SHOOTERS EVERYWHERE​

Only 32 of college basketball’s 362 teams take more threes per game than Nebraska, and only 41 teams make more than the Huskers.

Nebraska is only 126th in the country shooting from three as a team, making 35% of its attempts from beyond the arc. The tough part of defending the Huskers' perimeter, however, is that you never know who the source of triple production is going to be. Six different players on their roster attempt at least three threes per game and four of them shoot 33.3% or better from outside.

“It’s gonna really test us,” Holtmann said. “We’re gonna have to be really on point with our defense. Really on point because they can really shoot it from multiple spots and they are a real challenge to guard.”

TOUGH TO TAKE TWOS AGAINST​

Nebraska is 31st nationally in field goal percentage against, allowing opponents to connect on 39.8% of their shots. That’s mostly due to their proficiency defending the interior, as the Huskers are 34th in two-point field goal percentage allowed at 45.1%. They achieve that number despite having no major contributors who stand above 6-10 or average at least one blocked shot per game.

One thing that negates Nebraska’s defensive advantage within the arc is its inability to consistently close possessions on the defensive glass. Teams average 12.1 offensive rebounds per game against the Huskers, the 27th-most allowed by any team in college basketball this season. That and middling perimeter defensive numbers are why Fred Hoiberg’s bunch only ranks 138th in points allowed per 100 possessions, giving up 100.2.

ON THE VERGE OF BREAKING A DROUGHT​

It’s been exactly 10 years since Nebraska made the NCAA Tournament. Hoiberg has consistently improved the squad year after year, taking them from a 7-25 team in his first season in 2019-20 to an even 16-16 record last season. Now at 14-5 with the aforementioned huge win over the Boilermakers, a solid close to the season should deliver the Huskers back to the Big Dance.

Holtmann went a step further than calling them a potential tourney team on Monday.

“They’ve just got a really good team that’s a bona fide tournament team,” Holtmann said. “I don’t think there’s any question.”

THREE IMPORTANT BUCKEYES​

JAMISON BATTLE​

With Nebraska’s two-point defensive numbers, three-point shooting is going to be important for Ohio State to generate offense. After a five-game stretch in which Battle hit at least four threes in every contest and shot 58.1% from outside, he’s been held to 2-of-10 from three across the past two contests as teams have pressed their defenses outward to contain him.

SCOTTY MIDDLETON​

The freshman Middleton will hope to respond after being suspended for the Penn State game for a violation of team rules. He remains Ohio State’s most proficient three-point shooter off the bench, making 40% of his attempts from distance.

“He’s a great kid, got a good approach and a good attitude in practice,” Holtmann said. “I think sometimes the outside world makes a bigger deal of this than what it is.”

BRUCE THORNTON​

Guard play is always pivotal on the road and Thornton will need to have a productive night scoring and passing to push the Buckeyes past the Huskers. He put up just three points on 1-of-9 shooting against Penn State but dished out six assists. Thornton’s slump from three also extended as he’s now 4-of-26 (15.4%) shooting triples in Ohio State’s last four games.

Teams have been hedging Thornton to take away much of his offense around the rim and in the mid-range, Holtmann said.

“It’s neutralized that,” Holtmann said. “(Teams) are just putting two on the ball, so it’s really limited his ability to get downhill. I think we’ve gotta look at some things where maybe we can help him with that, and he’s gotta continue to push the pace in transition. But it has kind of neutralized that, and I think he’s such a strong guard, I think it’s a big reason why he’s getting hedged.”

THREE NOTABLE HUSKERS​

KEISEI TOMINAGA​

No one takes or makes more threes for the Huskers than Tominaga, their leading scorer at 14.5 points per game. He shoots 38.1% on the season from downtown and remains efficient when he goes inside at 58.1% from two.

RIENK MAST​

Nebraska’s 6-foot-10 five-man leads the team in rebounding with 8.4 boards per game and he’s not afraid to space the floor as well. Taking 3.4 threes per game, Mast converts 29.8% of them, landing third on the team in scoring at 12.5 points per contest. With the Huskers’ kick-out style of offense, Mast also leads the team in assists with three per game.

BRICE WILLIAMS​

Nebraska’s second-leading scorer is another threat from the perimeter, shooting 36.8% from three on the season. Williams posts 13.3 points and 2.7 assists per game, both second on the squad.

HOW IT PLAYS OUT​

LINE: NEBRASKA -2.5, O/U 149.5​

I’ll be honest, I don’t see the Buckeyes winning this one. Nebraska is a solid team that upgrades to be a fantastic team when playing in Pinnacle Bank Arena. Luckily, by avoiding an upset against Penn State on Saturday, Ohio State can afford to have its record drop to 13-6 with what would be a Quadrant 1 loss and not take a huge hit to its NCAA Tournament resume.

If the Buckeyes do win, it will be because their shooters awake from a cold stretch of play – Ohio State has shot 33.3% or worse from three in four games in a row, with back-to-back contests under 20% – and they do enough on defense to limit Nebraska’s three-point proficiency.

Prediction: Nebraska 81, Ohio State 76
 
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