Ohio State vs Arizona Round of 32 College Hoops Odds Report

No. 10 Ohio State survived an overtime thriller against a tough VCU ballclub in their 2015 NCAA Tournament opener on Thursday, but will the Buckeyes be able to cool off a red-hot No. 2 Arizona team that has won a dozen consecutive ballgames and a blistering 18 of their last 19 games overall… not to mention really favorable NCAA Basketball betting lines? Let’s find out.

Top freshmen Stanley Johnson, D’Angelo Russell to meet Saturday when @APlayersProgram takes on @OhioStateHoops: http://t.co/Uc7QefHvZI — azcentral sports (@azcsports) March 20, 2015

How To Bet The Buckeyes vs Wildcats Round of 32 College Hoops Odds, TV & Game Info

When: 5:15 PM ET, Saturday, March 21, 2015 Where: Moda Center at the Rose Quarter, Portland, Oregon TV: CBS Odds: Arizona -9 Over/Under: 138.5

Arizona Wildcats (32-3 SU, 22-13 ATS, 16-19 O/U)

Arizona man-handled Texas Southern 93-72 on Thursday in its NCAA Tournament opener but narrowly failed to cover the spread as a whopping 23.5-point favorite to fall to 1-2 ATS over its last three games, but a robust 7-3 ATS over its last 10. The Wildcats got game-highs in points (23) and rebounds (11) from sophomore forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson while gifted freshman forward Stanley Johnson, the team’s leading scorer added 22 points in the win. All five Arizona starters scored in double figures in the convincing win. The Cats average a healthy 76.9 points per game (20th) and shoot a blistering (49.3 percent from the field to rank fourth in the country. The Wildcats however, are no one-trick pony, ranking 15th in points allowed (59.0) and 31st in defensive field goal percentage (39.4). “I think the point is that we have to get back to being an excellent defensive team, which takes a lot of effort and concentration,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said at his postgame press conference. “We certainly can do it.”

Ohio State Buckeyes (24-10 SU, 15-17-1 ATS, 17-14-1 O/U)

Ohio State Buckeyes got a fantastic performance from freshman shooting guard D’Angelo Russell as the athletic perimeter player scored a game-high 28 points to lead the Buckeyes to a narrow 75-72 overtime win over VCU on Thursday. Russell has done it all for the Buckeyes this season by averaging an impressive 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. However, it was senior point guard Shannon Scott that Russell credited following his team’s latest victory after the floor leader dished out a game-high10 assists. “Shannon made it easy for everybody,” Russell said following the win. “He was breaking the defense down and he had 10 assists.” In spite of its exciting win, Ohio State failed to cover the March Madness betting line as a 3.5-point favorite to fall to 0-2 ATS over its last pair of games, 1-3 ATS over its last four and a discouraging 4-6 ATS over their last 10 games overall.

My Betting Analysis and Pick

While Ohio State certainly isn’t a ‘bad’ ballclub, they sure aren’t in the same caliber of team as the two-way Wildcats who can get after it at both ends of the floor. Having said that, I’m going to urge college hoops gamblers everywhere to back the Arizona Wildcats to cover the spread as a nearly double-digit favorite, seeing as how the Cats have been a double-digit favorite in six straight games – while cashing in four times during the span. Ohio State has compiled a dismal 2-5 ATS mark in their last seven games against a team with a winning SU record while also going 1-4 ATS in their last five games following an SU win. Conversely, the Wildcats have gone 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss while also posting a bankroll-booting 8-2 ATS mark in their last 10 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600. With Arizona having far more balance and being the better defensive team in this matchup, I say the Wildcats cover with just a bit of room to spare. The Pick: Arizona 77 Ohio State 66