The Indiana Hoosiers take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Ohio State is favored by 4.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -192. The total is set at 148.5 points.
Here’s my Indiana vs. Ohio State predictions and college basketball picks for March 7, 2026.
Indiana vs Ohio State Prediction
My Pick: Ohio State -4.5 (Play to -6.5)
My Indiana vs Ohio State best bet is on the Buckeyes to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Indiana vs. Ohio State Odds
| Indiana Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -112 | 148.5 -110 / -110 | +160 |
| Ohio State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -108 | 148.5 -110 / -110 | -192 |
- Indiana vs Ohio State spread: Ohio State -4.5
- Indiana vs Ohio State over/under: 148.5 points
- Indiana vs Ohio State moneyline: Indiana +160, Ohio State -192
Indiana vs Ohio State College Basketball Betting Preview
Indiana Basketball
What once looked like a great season in Darian DeVries's first year at the helm in Bloomington has taken a bad turn and veered off course. The Hoosiers started the season 7-0 and even entered the AP top 25 early on, but promptly lost two straight games, and things haven't been the same since.
Indiana started out 3-1 in conference play, putting it at 12-3 overall, but the struggles immediately followed. The Hoosiers lost four games in a row, albeit to projected NCAA Tournament teams Nebraska, Michigan State, Iowa, and Michigan, in mid-January.
Indiana bounced back by winning five of its next six games, including a signature victory against Purdue at home.
The wheels have fallen off since that stretch.
The Hoosiers climbed into single-digit seed territory at the beginning of February, but lost four straight once again, finding themselves squarely on the bubble heading into the last week of the regular season.
While a 77-47 win against Minnesota earlier in the week definitely helped Indiana get its mojo back, this matchup with Ohio State will be the true test of whether that holds up.
The Buckeyes are on the bubble and want this win. But for the Hoosiers, this is the definition of a must-win game.
With a loss to Ohio State, it would be hard to see Indiana having any shot of making the NCAA Tournament, barring a miraculous run in the Big Ten Tournament.
Ohio State Basketball
Ohio State has struggled mightily to string wins together this season. After a 6-0 start to the year, the Buckeyes haven't won (or lost) more than two games in a row since December.
But Ohio State has a chance to buck that trend on Senior Night against the Hoosiers.
Aside from the Buckeyes looking to pick up an extended winning streak for the first time since the early portion of the season, they are looking to carry a ton of momentum into a very important Big Ten Tournament.
While it could be argued that a win over Indiana, which would get Ohio State to 20-11 overall with a 12-8 conference record, would be enough to lock up an NCAA Tournament bid, any team with double-digit losses and just two Quad 1 wins can't be considered fully off the bubble.
The importance of this game for either side can't be overstated, but the Buckeyes are under another kind of pressure as the home team and the favorite. Add in the potential for star guard Bruce Thornton to play his entire career without making the NCAA Tournament once, and the stakes raise even higher.
Getting into the nitty-gritty statistics of this matchup, these two teams are pretty similar defensively, but the offensive end tips the scales in favor of Ohio State.
The Buckeyes rank in the top 20 nationally in offensive efficiency, per KenPom. That offense has been humming recently, as Ohio State is coming off an 82-point home outing against Purdue and a 94-point road outing against Penn State.
Indiana vs. Ohio State Betting Analysis
The storyline of this game is clear: the Big Ten's two true bubble teams are facing off in the final game of the season.
Indiana could pick up a Quad 1 road win that would likely change which side of the bubble the Hoosiers are on.
Ohio State could make it nearly impossible for the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee to leave the Buckeyes out of the big dance with a solid win against a fellow bubble team.
These teams are essentially the same on defense, as Ohio State ranks 54th nationally on KenPom in defensive efficiency and Indiana ranks 56th.
On offense, the Buckeyes are in the top 20, while Indiana is just inside the top 40.
However, the venue could be the big difference in this game.
Per Bart Torvik, Indiana ranks 52nd nationally in adjusted efficiency on the road, compared to 24th at home, and 28th overall.
In the same statistic, Ohio State ranks 30th at home, 26th on the road, and 36th overall.
Ohio State is consistent no matter where it plays, while Indiana is a considerably worse team on the road.
I would pick the Buckeyes even if this game were played at a neutral site, and I see no reason to pick against them with the momentum they carry into the game, especially given Indiana's lackluster play on the road this season.
My Pick: Ohio State -4.5 (Play to -6.5)
