Ohio State vs. Cincinnati: How to watch, odds, predictions from ESPN, KenPom
Ohio State and Cincinnati are meeting in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational Tournament, having traveled all the way from Ohio to play each other in Hawaii. This is the losers’ side of the bracket and can be seen on ESPN2 at 5 P.M. Now, there are already predictions and betting odds rolling in.
How to watch Ohio State vs. Cincinnati
Tip-off: 5 P.M. ET
Location: Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii
Channel: ESPN2
Vegas odds
Ohio State is a four-point favorite over Cincinnati, according to VegasInsider. The over-under line is currently set at 141.5.
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ESPN BPI prediction
Predicted winner: Ohio State
Predicted point differential: 5.2
Win probability (for the Buckeyes): 70%
Matchup quality: 79.2
ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index, or BPI, is a tool that measures the strength of teams to predict the outcomes of games. ESPN’s BPI has predicted that the Buckeyes will win in the second ranked matchup of the day.
KenPom prediction
Predicted final score: Ohio State 74, Cincinnati 70
Win probability (for the Buckeyes): 65%
KenPom is another analytical tool used in college basketball to help predict outcomes. According to KenPom, the Buckeyes should win by an amount similar to the Vegas spread.
More on Ohio State vs. Cincinnati
Ohio State is 3-1 while Cincinnati is 3-2 on the season, but both are coming into the game after a loss. The Buckeyes dropped their first-round game to the San Diego State Aztecs. Meanwhile, the Bearcats lost to Arizona, who scored 101 points on them in an offensive explosion.
The Bearcats’ offense has been hot and cold this season, proving it can be explosive and score more than 90 points in multiple games. However, there have also been a few duds, like only scoring 51 in a loss to Northern Kentucky.
For its part, Ohio State has taken care of business against a relatively easy non-conference schedule to start the season, before falling to an excellent San Diego State team.