Michigan at Ohio State odds, picks and prediction

The No. 3 Michigan Wolverines (15-1 overall, 10-1 Big Ten) visit the fourth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (18-4, 12-4) Sunday afternoon. Tip-off for the conference showdown is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Below, we analyze the Michigan-Ohio State college basketball odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

This is bigger than your typical Michigan-OSU rivalry game as it involves two of the top four teams in the country.

With a 10-1 conference record, the Wolverines sit atop the Big Ten. Buckeyes (12-4) and Illinois Fighting Illini (11-3) are both a half-game back.

Michigan at Ohio State: Odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports' betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:05 a.m. ET.

• Money line : Michigan -120 (bet $120 to win $100) | Ohio State +100 (bet $100 to win $100)
• Against the spread/ATS : Michigan +1.5 (-110) | Ohio State -1.5 (-110)
• Over/Under : 146.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Michigan at Ohio State: Three things to know

1. This is the only regular-season meeting between the rivals. Ohio State swept Michigan last season, covering the spread in both victories. The Buckeyes won at home 77-63 as 10-point favorites last March and eked out a 61-58 thriller as 3-point road underdogs a month earlier.
2. Michigan enters on a 4-game win streak. Following their first and only Big Ten loss at Minnesota Jan. 16, the Wolverines claimed double-digit victories vs. Maryland (Jan. 19) and at Purdue (Jan. 22) before COVID-19 issues shut things down for nearly three weeks. They returned Valentine's Day with a 67-59 win at Wisconsin. Four days later, they defeated Rutgers 71-64 but were backdoored as 9-point home favorites when the Scarlet Knights received a fortunate bounce on a 3-pointer with 9 seconds left. Freshman C Hunter Dickinson leads UM in scoring (14.6 points per game), rebounds (7.8 RPG) and blocks (1.6 BPG).
3. The Buckeyes, winners of their last 7 games, are the hottest team in the Big Ten. Four of those victories were by double digits and they've outscored opponents by 10.5 PPG in the 7-game streak. The most recent win was a 92-82 decision as 4.5-point road favorites at Penn State Thursday. Sophomore F E.J. Liddell, who scored 23 points vs. the Nittany Lions, leads OSU in scoring (15.5 PPG), rebounds (6.6 RPG) and blocks (1.3 BPG).

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Michigan at Ohio State: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Ohio State 76, Michigan 70

Money line (ML)

OHIO STATE ( +100) is the STRONGEST PLAY - 1½ times your usual wager. If the line moves above -110, change the focus to the spread and lay the points, no matter how many.

The Buckeyes are the better team. They're 10-1 straight-up and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games. Plus, they're at home.

They're also more battle-tested, notching wins against the Big Ten's other top two teams in Illinois and Iowa. Michigan hasn't played either yet and only has two wins over No. 21 Wisconsin to really brag about.

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Against the spread (ATS)

PASS unless Ohio State's ML moves above -110 as mentioned above.

ATS: Michigan 12-4 | Ohio State 14-7-1

Over/Under (O/U)

PASS. My projected score is too close to the O/U line 145.5 (-110) to make a play. However, if you must, the lean is to the OVER.

O/U records: Michigan 7-9 | Ohio State 13-8-1

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