The Ohio State Buckeyes and Kentucky Wildcats head to the Big Apple to square off in the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden on Saturday evening. The Buckeyes have won 2 of their last 5 games and currently sit with a 7-4 record. The Wildcats enter Saturday on a 3 game win streak and a 10-1 record. They are currently 8.5 point favorites with this Ohio State vs. Kentucky matchup set to tip off at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
Ohio State Buckeyes (+8.5) at Kentucky Wildcats (-8.5) o/u 160.5
5:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 21, 2024
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
TV: CBS
Public Betting: Public Bettors Backing Wildcats
As of this writing, our CBB Public Betting page shows that 65% of bets are on Kentucky. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided so that you’re getting the most updated information.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes have struggled as of late but did manage to pick up a 95-73 win over Valparaiso in their last matchup. Devin Royal was the lead scorer dropping a season high 31 points on 11-16 shooting. Micah Parrish and Bruce Thornton each dropped 14 points and Evan Mahaffey added 15 points off the bench. The team shot 54% from the field but just 31.6% from three point land.
Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats have bounced back from their one loss on the season with 3 straight wins. The latest was a 93-85 victory over Louisville. Guard Lamont Butler exploded for 33 points, shooting a perfect 10-10 from the field and 6-6 from behind the arc. Otega Oweh added 17 points and Andrew Carr fell just short of a double-double, finishing with 10 points and 9 rebounds.
Ohio State vs. Kentucky Betting Trends
Ohio State is 2-3 ATS in their last 5 games
The UNDER is 3-1 in Ohio State’s last 4 games
Kentucky is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games
The OVER is 6-4 in Kentucky’s last 10 games
Ohio State vs. Kentucky Prediction:
Lay the points with Kentucky in this matchup on Saturday. The Buckeyes have struggled against good competition this season. They got smacked by Auburn losing 91-53, Maryland destroyed them by 24 points, and Texas A&M beat them by 14. Ohio State is 1-3 ATS as an underdog this season. They also split their two neutral site games. Meanwhile Kentucky is the highest scoring team in the country averaging 91 points per game. They are also 2-0 ATS on a neutral court. Kentucky is the way better team and I don’t think the Buckeyes will be able to keep up.
Ohio State vs. Kentucky Prediction: Kentucky -8.5