Preview of Northwestern vs. Ohio State

The Northwestern Wildcats face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes in an important Big Ten Conference matchup on Thursday. Both teams have been dealing with challenges recently:

• Northwestern comes off a 68-64 loss to Nebraska, while Ohio State suffered an 86-83 setback against Michigan on the same day.
• Northwestern is 0-8 on the road this season, while the Buckeyes boast a 10-5 home record.

Matchup Details

• Tip-off: 6:30 PM ET
• Spread: Ohio State -9.5
• Over/Under: 142.5 points

Key Players to Watch

• Bruce Thornton (Junior Guard): Averaging 17.3 points and coming off a 31-point game against Maryland.
• Devin Royal (Sophomore Forward): Consistently contributing with 14 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
• Nick Martinelli (Junior Forward): Known for his double-doubles, had a solid 23-point performance against Nebraska last game.
• Ty Berry (Senior Guard): Also on a scoring streak, putting up impressive numbers recently.

Predictions

SportsLine’s model predicts the total points scored to be 147, with one side of the spread favored in over 50% of simulations. For in-depth picks, visit SportsLine.