Ohio State Buckeyes vs Valparaiso Beacons Matchup

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

Valparaiso vs Ohio State Prediction

Betting on today's Beacons and Buckeyes game? Catch the action at Value City Arena in Columbus, OH, as the Buckeyes hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on PEAC. This non-conference matchup has an over/under of 151.5 points, and Ohio State is favored by -21.5 vs. Valparaiso.

Valparaiso vs. Ohio State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Valparaiso Beacons at Ohio State Buckeyes
Where: Columbus at Value City Arena
Date: Tuesday, December 17th
Betting Odds OHIOST -21.5, VALP +1420 | OHIOST -4900 O/U 151.5

Beacons Preview: Do the Beacons Stand a Chance in Columbus?

Valparaiso Beacons Recent Game/Games

Valparaiso evened their season record at 4-4 with a 93-77 home win over Central Michigan on Saturday. The Beacons were favored by 1 point going into the game and covered the spread, while the total points of 170 exceeded the over/under line of 144.5.

Valparaiso led 36-31 at halftime and pulled away by scoring 57 points in the 2nd half, while allowing 46 points to Central Michigan.

Beacons Offense Breakdown

Valparaiso's offense put up 93 points in their last game, shooting 46.6% from the field and hitting 42.3% from beyond the arc (11/26). Their effective field goal percentage was 55.2%, and they were nearly perfect from the free-throw line, making 28 of 31 attempts (90.3%).

All Wright led the Beacons with 26 points, connecting on 4 of 8 threes, while Tyler Schmidt added 21 points, hitting 4 of 5 from deep. Anthony Pritchard contributed 20 points, and Ugnius Jarusevicius chipped in 18, shooting 50% from the field.

Beacons Team Defense

Valparaiso's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 77 points on 46% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 50% of their two-point attempts, going 16/32.

From beyond the arc, Valparaiso's opponent shot 42%, making 11 of 26 three-point attempts. They also sent them to the free-throw line 31 times, where they converted 28 free throws at a 90% clip.

Buckeyes Preview: Will Ohio State Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?

Ohio State’s season record dropped to 6-4 after a 91-53 road loss to Auburn on Saturday. The Buckeyes entered the game as +12.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 144, falling short of the 151.5 O/U line.

Ohio State struggled from the start, trailing 49-21 at halftime. They managed to score 32 points in the 2nd half but allowed 42 points, leading to the lopsided final score.

Buckeyes Offense Breakdown

Ohio State struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 53 points on 35.3% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 41.2%, and they hit 37.5% of their threes, going 6-for-16 from beyond the arc.

The Buckeyes managed only 5 offensive rebounds and dished out 7 assists. At the free-throw line, they shot 57.9%, connecting on 11 of 19 attempts.

Buckeyes Team Defense

Ohio State's defense struggled, giving up 91 points on 45% shooting from the field. The Buckeyes allowed 33 made field goals on 72 attempts.

Defensively, Ohio State allowed 13 threes on 30 attempts, a 43% shooting performance from beyond the arc. They also sent the opposing team to the line 14 times, where they made 12 free throws, shooting 85%.

Beacons vs Buckeyes Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last five road games, Valparaiso has an ATS record of just 2-3. However, their overall record was 0-5 while averaging 63 points per game.
In their last five games at home, the Buckeyes have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 66 points per game in this stretch.
In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Beacons have a straight up record of 1-9 and an ATS mark of 5-5.
The Buckeyes have played well in their last three games as the betting favorite, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.