NCAAB Odds, Pick for Michigan vs Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes have quietly joined the NCAA tournament conversation after notching huge wins over Purdue and Michigan State. However, the Buckeyes can’t afford a loss to Michigan, the worst team in the Big Ten.

Michigan is a total train wreck right now. There’s no putting it nicely, the Wolverines have lost seven consecutive games and sit 8-21 this season. For a team that rallied four wins in the first two weeks of the season to only have four more in the next 3 months is a complete embarrassment. That just isn’t acceptable for Michigan and it puts Juwan Howard’s job status in question.

Dug McDaniel’s six-game road suspension finally ended against Rutgers, but it didn't do much to help the Wolverines. Rutgers absolutely cooked Michigan’s awful defense, scoring 82 points with 1.24 points per possession. That’s the worst offensive team in the Big Ten, cooking Michigan’s defense.

Michigan isn’t even competing in most of its games, losing five of its past six games by double-digits. It’s just getting worse and worse for Michigan, who’s playing without Olivier Nkamhoua for the rest of the season.

The Wolverines will need scoring from McDaniel, but others will need to help him out. The best candidates for putting up points are Terrence Williams and Tarris Reed Jr. — though neither are great options. Perhaps it's time to let George Washington III get some serious run. The one thing Michigan does well is shoot 3s as the Wolverines are hitting on 36% of their shots from deep.

Ohio State has won three of its past four games since firing Chris Holtmann. All it takes is getting hot at the right time and you never know what will happen. It’s March after all.

The biggest difference? Improvements on the defensive end. That’s sort of the reason Holtmann couldn’t generate enough consistency in the past few seasons. His teams just didn’t defend. Anyways, the Buckeyes limited Michigan State and Nebraska to fewer than 1.00 points per possession and Purdue only scored 1.11 PPP, which is pretty light considering Purdue’s potential.

Ohio State's offense wasn’t the problem as it ranks 39th in offensive efficiency with a plethora of scoring weapons. Ohio State's trio of scorers — Jamison Battle, Roddy Gayle and Bruce Thornton — can cause problems for opposing teams. The biggest key is Battle, who has scored 17 or more points in four straight games, and just scored 32 against Nebraska. He’s an elite shooter and is shooting 43% from 3, while the other two thrive at getting to the hoop.

Thornton missed the Nebraska game with migraines, but should play against Michigan.

I can’t think of a number worth taking with Michigan right now. This is just a total fade of the Wolverines, who look like they've given up on the season. Back the Buckeyes at home.

Pick: Ohio State -9.5 (Play to -11)