Oral Roberts vs. Ohio State Predictions, Odds, Preview

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

Mar. 19, 2021

Jonathan Willis
NCAA BK Expert
VegasInsider.com

Oral Roberts vs. Ohio State Predictions

Only one game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament has a higher total than Friday’s clash between the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles and the Ohio State Buckeyes. The oddsmakers are expecting this game to be high scoring, but they might be selling the over a little bit short in this one.

Oral Roberts has allowed at least 79 points to each of the five NCAA Tournament teams it played this season. The Golden Eagles have by far the worst defense of any team taking part in March Madness, making the OVER the pick when it comes to the total.

The Buckeyes will be able to take advantage of this porous defense to cruise to an easy first-round victory over the Golden Eagles. Ohio State ranks fourth in offensive efficiency per Ken Pomeroy.

• Score Prediction: Ohio State 89 Oral Roberts 72
• Best Bets - Side: Ohio State -16.5
• Best Bets - Total: OVER 156.5

Where to Bet March Madness

Books	Welcome Offer	Bet Now
	Risk-Free Bet up to $600 T&C's Apply, 21+	Claim Bonus
	Risk-Free Bet up to $1,000 T&C's Apply, 21+	Claim Bonus
	Up To A $500 Risk-Free Bet T&C's Apply, 21+	Claim Bonus
	Up To $2021 Risk-Free Bet	Claim Bonus
	2 Risk Free Bets to $2,000 T&C's Apply, 21+	Claim Bonus

Bet: BetMGM | FanDuel | WynnBet |William Hill | PointsBet

Oral Roberts vs. Ohio State Betting Odds

Line Movements

• Spread: Ohio State -16.5
• Total: 156.5
• Money-Line: Ohio State -3000 Oral Roberts +1200

Odds to Win NCAA Tournament

• Oral Roberts 250/1
• Ohio State 16/1

Odds to Win South Region

• Oral Roberts 80/1
• Ohio State 4/1

Odds Subject to Change

First Round Predictions

Friday's Early Action - Mar. 19 7 vs. 10 3 vs. 14 1 vs. 16 6 vs. 11 2 vs. 15 1 vs. 16 8 vs. 9 5 vs. 12

Handicapping Oral Roberts vs. Ohio State

Oral Roberts did not defeat a Division I team in non-conference play. The Golden Eagles’ three non-conference victories were all against teams playing in lower divisions.

Their other five non-conference games came against teams that made it to the Big Dance. Oral Roberts was whooped soundly by Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas. However, the team kept it close against Wichita State and Oklahoma State.

The Golden Eagles were the No. 4 seed in the Summit League Tournament. They upset No. 1 seed South Dakota State 90-88 in the semifinals, and then held on to beat No. 3 seed North Dakota State 75-72 to earn the automatic bid.

Ohio State was considered a potential No. 1 seed in mid-February. The Buckeyes won seven straight Big Ten games to move to 18-4 overall and 12-4 in conference play before a four-game losing streak to close out the regular season dashed those hopes.

They were able to make a run in the Big Ten Conference Tournament, though. Ohio State beat Minnesota, Purdue and Michigan on successive days before falling to Illinois in overtime for the title.

• Region: South
• Matchup: 2 vs. 15
• Venue: Mackey Arena
• Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
• Date: Mar. 19, 2021
• TV-Time: CBS - 3:00 p.m. (ET)

Handicapping Resources: March Madness Central | NCAA Consensus Picks

Betting Stats & Analysis - Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

Oral Roberts went 14-9 ATS during the regular season. The Golden Eagles won and covered all three of their neutral site games, closing out the season with four straight covers. Seven of their last nine games went OVER the total too.

Seed: 15
Conference: Summit
Bid: Auto

• SU: 16-10
• ATS: 14-9
• O/U: 16-7

• Current Form (Last 5): 5-0 SU, 4-1 ATS, 3-2 O/U
• Notable Wins: South Dakota State (x2)

• PS/G: 81.8 (12th)
• PA/G: 75.8 (293rd)
• Off Rtg: 111 (27th)
• Def Rtg: 102.8 (246th)

Most Popular March Madness Tools

• Viewable Brackets & Odds
• Team Trends & NCAA Records
• March Madness History
• Sweet 16 Betting Picks
• Elite Eight Betting Picks
• Final Four Betting Picks
• NCAA Championship Betting Picks
• How to Bet on March Madness

Betting Stats & Analysis - Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes were one of the best teams in a loaded Big Ten. We’ve never seen a conference place four teams as No. 1 or No. 2 seeds before, so Ohio State is battle tested like few other squads.

Ohio State closed out the regular season with three straight losses in games that went under the total. In the conference tournament, the Buckeyes went 3-1 ATS and the over cashed three times as this offense found its rhythm.

Seed: 2
Conference: Big Ten
Bid: At-large

• SU: 21-8
• ATS: 16-12-1
• O/U: 16-12-1

• Current Form (Last 5): 3-2 SU, 3-2 ATS, 3-2 O/U
• Notable Wins: Michigan, Purdue, Maryland, Iowa, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois, UCLA, Rutgers (x2)

• PS/G: 77.3 (48th)
• PA/G: 71 (202nd)
• Off Rtg: 113.6 (11th)
• Def Rtg: 104.2 (269th)

First Round Predictions

Friday's Late Action - Mar. 19 4 vs. 13 8 vs. 9 2 vs. 15 4 vs. 13 7 vs. 10 6 vs. 11 3 vs. 14 5 vs. 12

Key Players to Watch

Max Abmas leads the nation in scoring this season. Oral Roberts’ sophomore guard is averaging 24.2 PPG and rarely comes out, playing the fourth-highest percentage of minutes of any player nationally. Abmas is surprisingly efficient given his heavy workload, connecting on 48.4% of his field goals and 43.3% of his treys.

The Golden Eagles have a great secondary scorer in Kevin Obanor. Obanor averaged 18.2 PPG and led the team with 9.5 RPG. He is making 50.3% of his field goals and 46.9% of his triples on the year.

Duane Washington is the best offensive weapon for Ohio State. Washington is averaging 16.3 PPG and hitting 38.1% of his threes. He doesn’t really help the Buckeyes in other ways though.

That’s where E.J. Liddell enters the equation. Liddell is averaging 15.9 PPG and leads the team with 6.4 RPG. He isn’t a great three-point shooter, but he is making over 50% of his two-point attempts.

• ORU - Max Abmas (24.4 PPG)
• ORU - Kevin Obanor (18.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG)

• OHST - Duane Washington (16.3 PPG)
• OHST - E.J. Liddell (15.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG)

March Madness Records & Trends

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

• All-Time Record: 2-5
• Last Appearance: 2008
• Deepest Run: Sweet 16 (1974)

-- Oral Roberts has lost five straight NCAA Tournament games.
-- Oral Roberts has lost its first game in four straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
-- Oral Roberts has covered the spread in nine of its last 12 games when playing as the underdog.
-- Oral Roberts has covered the spread in three straight games when playing on a neutral court.
-- Oral Roberts has covered the spread in seven of its last nine games.
-- Oral Roberts has gone OVER the point total in seven of its last nine games.

Ohio State Buckeyes

• All-Time Record: 57-32
• Last Appearance: 2019
• Deepest Run: Champion (1960)

-- Ohio State has failed to reach the Sweet 16 in four straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
-- Ohio State has been eliminated by a mid-major school in four of its last five NCAA Tournament appearances.
-- Ohio State has failed to score 60 points or more in three of its last four NCAA Tournament games in which they are eliminated.
-- Ohio State has covered the spread in three straight games.
-- Ohio State has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five games when playing as the favorite.
-- Ohio State has gone OVER the point total in three of its last four games.

More NCAA Tournament Tech Trends

VegasInsider Staff

More from VegasInsider Staff