Ohio State Buckeyes at Rutgers Scarlet Knights

TALE OF THE TAPE

Ohio State Rutgers Record 1-1 (B1G) → 0-2 (B1G) Off Rating 123.1 ← 103.9 eFG% 57.8% ← 45.9% Scoring 86.3 ← 68.7 Key Injuries None None

Gary's Take Jersey Mike's Arena, or 'The RAC,' is a house of horrors for Big Ten favorites, but this Rutgers team lacks the offensive firepower to make the atmosphere matter. The Scarlet Knights are currently dead last in the Big Ten in scoring, and their effective field goal percentage is a dismal forty-six percent. When you're struggling that much to put the ball in the hoop, you can't afford to fall behind against a transition-heavy team like Ohio State that averages over eighty-six points per night.

The real edge here is the massive gap in roster continuity. Head coach Steve Pikiell is essentially starting from scratch with a roster that returned less than twenty-five percent of its minutes from last year. Contrast that with Ohio State, where Jake Diebler has a four-year captain and senior leader in Bruce Thornton. Thornton and John Mobley Jr. form a veteran backcourt that has seen everything the Big Ten has to throw at them. They aren't going to be rattled by a loud student section in Piscataway.

Rutgers will try to grind this game down and win through second-chance points, as they do hold a significant edge on the offensive glass with Emmanuel Ogbole and Dylan Grant. However, Ohio State's offensive rating is elite, and their ability to score efficiently inside the paint with Christoph Tilly and Brandon Noel should neutralize those extra possessions. Rutgers is desperate for their first conference win, but desperation doesn't fix a broken jump shot. I expect the Buckeyes to withstand an early surge from Tariq Francis and eventually pull away for a comfortable double-digit victory. I'm laying the points with the Ohio State Buckeyes -8.5 -102.