Tuesday NCAA: Ohio State (3-0) at Miami (4-1)
The Ohio State Buckeyes are one of three unbeaten teams remaining in the Big Ten, but the Buckeyes get easily their biggest test of the young season tonight in South Florida against No. 22 Miami in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. UM is an 8-point favorite on WagerWeb.com.
The Buckeyes actually haven’t faced a very impressive yet this year and are averaging the fewest points (63.3) of any Big Ten team, rank next to last in the conference in assists and are ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Ohio State is 2-5 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, 0-3 away from home, and has lost five of its past six games. Miami is 0-2 since joining the ACC from the Big East and is playing host to a Challenge game for the first time. UM is experienced, with eight of the top 10 scorers back from a team that tied for fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference last season and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Star guard Jack McClinton is averaging a team-high 15.8 points. Forward Cyrus McGowan is averaging 10.7 points on 55.0 percent shooting in his last three games after averaging 5.5 points on 36.4 percent shooting in his first two.
OSU is coming off holding Samford to the fewest points by an opponent in 69 years in a 59-22 victory on Saturday. The overmatched Bulldogs managed only nine field goals while the Buckeyes blocked seven shots. Sophomore Evan Turner, who leads Ohio State in scoring (12.0), had a season-high 16 points and career highs of 13 rebounds and five steals on Saturday.
Defensively, led by sophomore Dallas Lauderdale inside, the Buckeyes have made it tough on the opposition and lead the Big Ten in scoring defense, holding foes to 40 points per game. Miami features four players the size of the 6-8, 255-pound Lauderdale inside.
Miami has won both of its home games this season, and is 16-2 at BankUnited Center since the start of last season. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, have not had much luck on the road against ranked opponents, dropping seven straight versus Top 25 teams.
NCAA Basketball Betting at WagerWeb.com
