Pittsburgh vs Ohio State Prediction, Picks, and Odds for Today's College Basketball Game

Although both teams have capable offenses, missing personnel and strong defenses will keep this game from reaching the total of 147.

Eric Rosales - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Eric Rosales • Betting Analyst
Nov 29, 2024 • 08:48 ET • 4 min read
Information icon

This article contains predictions for an old game!

Latest NCAAB Picks
Meechie Johnsnon Ohio State
Photo By - Imagn Images.

Two teams on the verge of breaking into college basketball’s Top 25 rankings collide at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus when the Pittsburgh Panthers visit the Ohio State Buckeyes.

My Pitt vs Ohio State predictions think the Panthers’ defense will travel in their first official road game in the season, keeping this game Under the total.

Pittsburgh vs Ohio State prediction

My best bet
Under 147 (-110 at bet365)

My analysis
Ohio State has a Top 6 offense in the Big Ten, but it's the defense that has caught my eye for these college basketball picks.

The Buckeyes rank 20th in KenPom’s defensive efficiency metric, allowing just 59.3 points per game, and they sit Top 10 in both opponent field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. 

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Panthers are the only team in the ACC to rank Top 4 in both offense (84.3 ppg) and defense, surrendering just 63.1 points per contest.

That's helped them to one spot above the Buckeyes in KenPom’s defensive efficiency rating at 19th. They hold teams to 37.6% shooting from the field and 26.5% from 3-point range.

Both teams are also missing some key components this afternoon. Panthers’ guard Damian Dunn (thumb) was hurt against Wisconsin and had surgery Monday. That’s 11.1 points and a deft 52.6% mark from downtown off the roster.

For the Buckeyes, 7-foot-1 forward Aaron Bradshaw (head) missed the last two games, and the sophomore’s status is unknown for today.

Defense will be the name of the game in this affair.

Pittsburgh vs Ohio State same-game parlay

Under 147

Bruce Thorton Under 15.5 points

Meechie Johnson Over 1.5 assists

Guard Bruce Thornton is coming off his best scoring game of the season, pouring in 25 against Green Bay in a blowout victory. However, that might have just over inflated his total for Friday, as his line is set at 15.5 points. 

Prior to that scoring outburst, Thornton had gone Under that mark in four straight games.

It’s quite the opposite for fellow guard Meechie Johnson, who has an extremely makeable 1.5 assist line against the Panthers. He’s had three straight games with at least two assists and has topped the total four times in six games this season.

Johnson missed topping the Over by an assist each in games against Texas A&M and Youngstown State. He’ll be all around this figure again.

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

Cash your ML bets quicker with bet365's early win payout

Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game CBB moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your school goes up by 18+ points!

Learn more about this feature, and all of bet365's offerings, with our comprehensive bet365 review.

21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Pittsburgh vs Ohio State odds

Pittsburgh vs Ohio State live odds

Pittsburgh vs Ohio State opening odds

  • Spread: Pittsburgh +3 (-110) | Ohio State -3 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Pittsburgh +145 | Ohio State -170
  • Over/Under: Over 147.5 (-110) | Under 147.5 (-110)

Odds courtesy of bet365

Pittsburgh vs Ohio State betting trend to know

The Panthers are 5-2-0 against the spread this season. Find more college basketball betting trends for Pittsburgh vs. Ohio State.

How to watch Pittsburgh vs Ohio State

Location: Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
Date: Friday, 11-29-2024
Tip-off: 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: Peacock

Pittsburgh vs Ohio State key injuries

Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.

Pages related to this topic

Eric Rosales - Covers
Betting Analyst

Eric has been involved in sports media in many different capacities since graduating from journalism school in 1999, back when getting your own column in a newspaper was still considered a thing. He doubled down and graduated from broadcast journalism school five years later, which led to a move to Toronto and a career with The Sports Network (TSN). From behind-the-scenes production work, he moved into the digital realm, where he had his own hoops column (At the Buzzer), while regularly live streaming and chatting with fans during broadcasts as the character known as LeBlog James. He was also a key contributor to TSN and CTV’s Olympic programming during the 2012 London Games.

Eric eventually found his way into the sports betting field in 2016 and has been a mainstay ever since. He was tagged on Twitter as a Top 10 NBA sharp during the 2021 season and has been interviewed about basketball and his handicapping process on shows from Vancouver to India. Eric is now a jack-of-all-sports at Covers, where his predictions span the alphabet soup: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, F1, WNBA, Euro, and Copa.

When making picks, he focuses on finding value first and foremost, and ensuring readers have all the information they need to make an informed choice.

Popular Content

Legal Canadian sports betting

Best Canadian betting sites Ontario sports betting
Covers is verified safe by: Evalon Logo GPWA Logo GDPR Logo GeoTrust Logo Evalon Logo