Ohio State Buckeyes vs Pittsburgh Panthers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Pittsburgh vs Ohio State NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Columbus.

Pittsburgh vs Ohio State Prediction

Planning on watching today's Panthers and Buckeyes game? Catch the action at Value City Arena in Columbus, OH, as the Buckeyes hosts this showdown at 2:30 ET on PEAC. The odds for this non-conference game currently have Ohio State as the -3.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 147 points.

Pittsburgh vs. Ohio State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Pittsburgh Panthers at Ohio State Buckeyes
Where: Columbus at Value City Arena
Date: Friday, November 29th
Betting Odds OHIOST -3.5, PITT +130 | OHIOST -161 O/U 147

Panthers Preview: Taking a Look at the Panthers Chances in Columbus

Pittsburgh Panthers Recent Game

The Panthers dropped their latest game, 81-75, to the Badgers on Sunday. Pittsburgh was a -2.5 favorite going into the game, but they didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game hit 156, going over the pre-game O/U line of 148.

Pittsburgh led 34-27 at halftime but struggled defensively in the 2nd half, allowing 54 points while scoring 41. This defensive lapse was a key factor in their loss.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Pittsburgh's offense put up 75 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 53.3%, with a strong 67.6% shooting on two-pointers, but they struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 5 of 23 attempts for 21.7%.

John Tonje led the way with 33 points, shooting 57.9% overall, though he made just 1 of 5 from three. Cameron Corhen was efficient inside, hitting 7 of 8 shots, while Ishmael Leggett contributed 17 points despite missing all 4 of his three-point attempts.

Panthers Team Defense

Despite Pittsburgh's defensive efforts, they gave up 81 points, with their opponent shooting 48% from the field. Most of the damage came from inside the arc, where the Panthers allowed 24 two-point field goals on 40 attempts, a 60% shooting rate.

From three-point range, Pittsburgh held their opponent to 5 made threes on 20 attempts, a 25% success rate. However, they sent them to the free-throw line 22 times, where they converted 18 free throws, shooting 81%. Pittsburgh also gave up 9 offensive rebounds.

Buckeyes Preview: Will the Buckeyes Live Up to Expectations at Home?

Ohio State cruised to a 102-69 win over Green Bay on Monday, November 25th. Playing at home, the Buckeyes were heavy favorites at -25.5 and covered the spread with ease.

Leading 42-32 at halftime, Ohio State turned up the intensity in the 2nd half, scoring 60 points while allowing just 37. The game’s total points hit 171, surpassing the O/U line of 155.5.

Buckeyes Offense Breakdown

Ohio State's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 102 points on 55.9% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 66.2%, thanks in part to hitting 45.2% from three-point range, knocking down 14 of 31 attempts. Inside the arc, they were even more efficient, shooting 64.9% on two-point attempts.

Anthony Roy led the way with 30 points, hitting 8 threes at a 66.7% clip, while Bruce Thornton added 25 points, connecting on 5 of 7 from deep. Thornton also dished out 9 assists. As a team, the Buckeyes recorded 20 assists and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds, though they struggled at the free-throw line, shooting just 63.2%.

Buckeyes Team Defense

Ohio State's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 69 points while allowing the opposition to shoot 55% from the field. The Buckeyes had a tough time defending inside, with their opponent hitting 64% of their two-point attempts, going 24/37.

From beyond the arc, Ohio State allowed 14 threes on 31 attempts, a 45% shooting performance. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 19 times, where they converted 12 shots, a 63% rate. The Buckeyes gave up 11 offensive rebounds in the game.

Panthers vs Buckeyes Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Pittsburgh has a 1-2 record in their last three road games. In this stretch, they averaged 71 points per game while allowing 72. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
In their last ten games at home, the Buckeyes have a straight up record of 4-6 while going 7-3 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 70 points per game in these contests.
In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Panthers have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 2-0-1.
Ohio State has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three games.