The Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Kentucky Wildcats in New York, NY, as part of the CBS Sports Classic. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Kentucky is favored by 8.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -320. The total is set at 160.5 points.
Here are my Ohio State vs. Kentucky predictions and college basketball picks for December 21, 2024.
Ohio State vs Kentucky Odds
| Ohio State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 160.5 -110 / -110 | +260 |
| Kentucky Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 160.5 -110 / -110 | -320 |
- Ohio State vs Kentucky spread: Kentucky -8.5
- Ohio State vs Kentucky over/under: 160.5 points
- Ohio State vs Kentucky moneyline: Kentucky -320, Ohio State +260
- Ohio State vs Kentucky best bet: Kentucky -8 (Play to -8.5)
My Ohio State vs Kentucky best bet is on the Wildcats spread, with the best odds currently available at Caesars. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Ohio State vs Kentucky College Basketball Betting Analysis
Two first-year head coaches face off when Kentucky meets Ohio State, and their fan bases are likely feeling very different about their new leaders after the first two months of play.
Mark Pope has exceeded all reasonable expectations at Kentucky, starting the season 10-1 with neutral-court wins over Duke and Gonzaga.
On the other end, Jake Diebler's Buckeyes sit at 7-4, with losses in all four of their games against top 30 opponents, per KenPom.
It has been a tumultuous start to the Diebler era, as two players from the starting lineup have missed time. Aaron Bradshaw has missed a string of games due to an investigation into a domestic incident, and Meechie Johnson Jr. has now taken a leave of absence from the team.
The chaotic nature of this Buckeyes roster has not had a positive effect on the group as a whole, as Ohio State has lost three of its last five games. The Buckeyes' last two losses have come in devastating fashion; they got waxed at Maryland in a game they trailed 50-17 at the half and lost to Auburn a week later by 38 points.
With Bradshaw and Johnson out, two individual reasons for optimism have been Devin Royal and John Mobley Jr. Mobley is shooting an incredible 54% from 3 on the year, and Royal has been the Buckeyes' best player for the last month.
Mobley and Royal's progress is a good sign, but they are still underclassmen. They are not fully ready to be the faces of a winning team, and Kentucky is as ready to win-now as any roster in college basketball.
Eight of Kentucky's top nine players are upperclassmen, and there are a handful of fifth-year seniors really making the most of their final year in college hoops.
3-point shooting could be the difference in this game, as both teams rank inside the top 25 nationally in 3-point percentage defense. Ohio State has been better at making them on the season, hitting 41% of their 3s to Kentucky's 37%.
Ohio State can be a bit too 3-point dependent, though, and that is not trending in the right direction, as it has shot less than 40% from 3 in each of its last four games.
Without Bradshaw and Johnson, a lot will fall on the shoulders of Bruce Thornton, who has been the star for the Buckeyes in their past two losing seasons.
Kentucky point guard Lamont Butler is a fantastic answer for Thornton, and he should be able to frustrate the head of the Ohio State offense.
Given the Buckeyes' recent uncertainties and their blowout losses against quality opponents, Kentucky to win big is the correct play here.
Pick: Kentucky -8 (Play to -8.5)
