Halftime Report

After a tough loss on the road their last time out, Ohio State looks much better today on their home court. They have jumped out to a quick 39-31 lead against Rutgers.

If Ohio State keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 6-3 in no time. On the other hand, Rutgers will have to make due with a 5-4 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ Ohio State Buckeyes

Current Records: Rutgers 5-3, Ohio State 5-3

How To Watch

  • When: Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 12 p.m. ET
  • Where: Value City Arena -- Columbus, Ohio
  • TV: Fox Sports 1
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
  • Ticket Cost: $5.00

What to Know

We've got another exciting Big Ten matchup on schedule as the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights are set to tip at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Value City Arena. The Buckeyes are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 82.5 points per game this season.

Ohio State is headed into the matchup having just suffered their biggest loss since January 27th on Wednesday. They suffered a bruising 83-59 defeat at the hands of Maryland. The match marked the Buckeyes' lowest-scoring game so far this season.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Devin Royal, who almost dropped a double-double on 18 points and nine rebounds.

Meanwhile, the point spread may have favored Rutgers last Saturday, but the final result did not. They fell to Texas A&M 81-77. The Scarlet Knights have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Despite the loss, Rutgers had strong showings from Jeremiah Williams, who went 7 for 8 en route to 20 points, and Ace Bailey, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and ten rebounds. What's more, Williams also racked up three offensive rebounds, the most he's had since back in February.

Even though they lost, Rutgers smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.

Ohio State's defeat dropped their record down to 5-3. As for Rutgers, their loss dropped their record down to an identical 5-3.

Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Ohio State hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 82.5 points per game. However, it's not like Rutgers struggles in that department as they've been averaging 81.4. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.

Going forward, Ohio State is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 5.5 points. There could be an interesting gambling play in this one, as they have done quite well against the spread at home this season while Rutgers has struggled against the spread on the road.

Odds

Ohio State is a solid 5.5-point favorite against Rutgers, according to the latest college basketball odds.

Bettors have moved against the Buckeyes slightly, as the game opened with the Buckeyes as a 7.5-point favorite.


The over/under is 153.5 points.

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Series History

Ohio State has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Rutgers.

  • Mar 10, 2024 - Ohio State 73 vs. Rutgers 51
  • Jan 03, 2024 - Ohio State 76 vs. Rutgers 72
  • Jan 15, 2023 - Rutgers 68 vs. Ohio State 64
  • Dec 08, 2022 - Ohio State 67 vs. Rutgers 66
  • Feb 09, 2022 - Rutgers 66 vs. Ohio State 64
  • Jan 09, 2021 - Ohio State 79 vs. Rutgers 68
  • Dec 23, 2020 - Ohio State 80 vs. Rutgers 68
  • Feb 12, 2020 - Ohio State 72 vs. Rutgers 66
  • Feb 02, 2019 - Ohio State 76 vs. Rutgers 62
  • Jan 09, 2019 - Rutgers 64 vs. Ohio State 61