The 2024 Myrtle Beach Invitational continues as the Ohio Bobcats (1-4) and the Portland Pilots (2-3) square off on Friday morning. Both of these teams lost their first games of the Invitational. The Bobcats lost to MTSU 83-81 in overtime. This was their third straight loss on the season. On the other side, Portland fell to South Florida 74-68. This will be the third game in school history between these teams. Ohio owns a 2-0 lead over the Pilots.
Tipoff from HTC Center is at 11:30 a.m. ET. The Bobcats are 7.5-point favorites in the latest Portland vs. Ohio odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 149. Before making any Ohio vs. Portland picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 3 of the 2024-25 season on a 156-114 betting roll (+1762) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has dialed in on Ohio vs. Portland and just revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball betting lines and trends for Ohio vs. Portland:
- Ohio vs. Portland spread: Bobcats -7.5
- Ohio vs. Portland over/under: 149 points
- Ohio vs. Portland money line: Bobcats -346, Portland +270
- Ohio vs. Portland picks: See picks here
- Ohio vs. Portland streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Portland can cover
Senior guard Vukasin Masic is an all-around threat in the backcourt. He leads the team in points (15), assists (5) and steals (1.3). He's finished with at least four assists and one steal in every game this season. On Nov. 12 versus Oregon, Masic had 12 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Freshman forward Austin Rapp is another offensive weapon for the Pilots. Rapp has a jumper that can stretch the floor and is a sound rebounder. He joins Masic, as the other player who averages double-digit points (12.3). Rapp has finished with 10-plus points in three games this season. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why Ohio can cover
Sophomore guard AJ Brown is the go-to weapon for this group. Brown scores from all three levels and can take the ball off the dribble. He leads the team in scoring (14), shooting 48% from the field and 47% from 3-point land. The Florida native has scored at least 19 points in three straight games. In the loss to MTSU on Thursday, Brown had 19 points and four boards.
Senior forward AJ Clayton provides Ohio with an additional scorer in the frontcourt. Clayton will get to the paint and his jumper can keep defenses honest. In 2024, he logs 11.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. In his last outing, Clayton notched a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Ohio vs. Portland picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, predicting the teams combine for 154 points. It also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of simulations. You can see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Ohio vs. Portland, and which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up well over $2,000 on top-rated spread picks since its inception, and find out.
