Nebraska vs Ohio State Odds, Picks and Predictions: Buckeyes Handle Business in Columbus

A four-game winning streak has the Nebraska Cornhuskers playing their best basketball at the best possible time. 

The Huskers, who currently sit projected for a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament, take that red-hot run to Columbus and face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Thursday night.

Nebraska picked up three of those four wins at home and hasn’t been great on the road, going just 2-7 SU and 3-6 ATS as a visitor this season. That notable split has the college basketball odds installing the Cornhuskers as short road underdogs.

The Buckeyes are at the bottom of the Big Ten but do protect their home court, with an 11-4 SU record inside Value City Arena. What’s more, they’re expecting standout forward Jamison Battle back in action tonight.

I run down the spread and Over/Under for this early 6:30 p.m. ET tipoff and give my best college basketball picks for Nebraska vs. Ohio State on February 29.

Nebraska vs Ohio State best odds

Nebraska vs Ohio State picks and predictions

I’m hesitant to jump on the Husker train. The Nebraska Cornhuskers not only picked up three of those last four wins at home — where it’s a much different team — but they benefited from a really bad day from Minnesota last time out.

The Cornhuskers beat the Golden Gophers 73-55, which looks like a convincing win. However, Minnesota was just having an off night from the field. It finished shooting just 31% from the floor and was uncharacteristically flat in the first half. Nebraska wasn’t much better, firing at a 39% clip for the game after overcoming its own ice-cold start.

As mentioned above, Nebraska sees a big swing in success when leaving Lincoln. The Huskers are 2-7 SU and 3-6 ATS in true road games, suffering an average margin of -6.2 points in those trips.

Also skewing the ratings for this matchup is Nebraska’s 83-69 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes at home on January 23. 

The Cornhuskers benefitted from a freak night from big man Rienk Mast, who scored a career-high 34 points with the bulk of those tallies coming from a 6-for-8 effort from 3-point range — a massive anomaly for the 6-foot-10 junior who averages just 1.3 triples a contest. Brasky Pants finished with 14 made triples in that win, well above their going average.

The Buckeyes are back home for just the second time in the last five games and playing some of their best basketball of the season, despite a 2-2 SU split in the last four outings. Ohio State is 3-1 ATS in that stretch and can thank an improvement on the defensive end. 

While OSU ranks near the bottom of the conference in defensive efficiency on the season, it has checked three of its last four foes to 69 points or fewer while holding shooters to a 43.8% rate from the field and just 31.8% success from distance in that span. Take the shootout with Minnesota out of the mix and the Buckeyes are making leaps and bounds on the defensive end this month. 

“In order to win moving forward, we have to be consistent in (half-court defense),” coach Jake Diebler told reporters. “So, we talked a lot about that post-Minnesota in film, in practice, and our guys deserve a ton of credit for making the adjustment.”

OSU is coming off a very impressive defensive effort at Michigan State, winning outright 60-57 as a 10-point underdog on a buzzer-beater from beyond the arc. That win in East Lansing also came with standout shooter Jamison Battle on the sideline, nursing an ankle injury. He should return tonight and isn’t expected to be slowed, given Sunday’s status was more of a precaution.

Game models call for a very close contest tonight, with Ohio State projected for a 1-point win against a spread as high as Buckeyes -3.5. However, I feel Nebraska isn’t being rated right and the Buckeyes’ recent ATS success indicates their improvements. 

Given OSU’s wonky ATS mark at home, I’m going to pass on the points and keep it simple with the home team on the moneyline.

My best bet: Ohio State moneyline (-152 at FanDuel)

Nebraska vs Ohio State same-game parlay

Ohio State moneyline

Under 145.5

+198 at FanDuel

The Buckeyes have a solid 11-4 SU mark in Columbus but haven’t been great against the spread. I feel these two Big Ten programs are being rated wrong, so give me OSU straight up.

This total has ticked up to 145.5 points with Nebraska bringing 3-point prowess, but Ohio State has made some significant defensive improvements, especially when defending the perimeter.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Nebraska vs Ohio State spread and Over/Under analysis

With the Buckeyes sitting forward Jamison Battle (14.2 ppg) in the road win over Michigan State on Sunday, oddsmakers opened Ohio State as short as -2.5. 

With Battle expected to return from a minor sprained ankle, this spread has since swelled as high as -3.5 at some sportsbooks while others have seen buyback on Nebraska to make the line OSU -3. According to Covers Consensus, 57% of early picks are backing the short home favorite.

Nebraska’s four-game winning streak turns heads, but picking up victories on the road hasn’t been easy for the Huskers. They’ve struggled away from home with a 2-7 SU record and a 3-6 ATS count, with defense as the main pain point. Nebraska allows 76.4 points on the road, more than 10 points than its defensive chops at home.

Ohio State has been solid in Columbus with an 11-4 SU record as a host but OSU has fallen short for bettors in those home stands, going 5-9-1 ATS inside Value City Arena. The Buckeyes are just 2-2 SU (3-1 ATS) in their last four outings overall, with three of those games coming on the road.

These Big Ten rivals battled in Nebraska on January 23, with the Cornhuskers rolling Ohio State 83-69, thanks in part to 14 makes from beyond the arc. Nebraska covered as a 4-point home fave and the final score topped the closing total of 148.5 points.

Tonight’s Over/Under opened at 143.5 and has climbed as high as 144.5. Covers Consensus shows 58% of early total picks siding with the Over in Columbus.

Ohio State is 15-13 O/U on the year, with a 9-6 O/U record at home. The Buckeyes followed a 5-1 O/U stretch with a 1-3 O/U count in their four most recent contests. 

Nebraska is one of the better Over plays in the Big Ten at 18-10 O/U, including a 6-3 O/U count on the road. The Cornhuskers were one of the hottest Over plays to start the 2024 side of the schedule but have since stayed below the total in three of the four games during this winning streak.

Nebraska vs Ohio State betting trend to know

Ohio State has cashed the moneyline in eight of its last 12 home games (+5.20 units). Find more college basketball betting trends for Nebraska vs. Ohio State.

Nebraska vs Ohio State game info

Nebraska vs Ohio State key injuries

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