There are three games set for today, with Ohio State hosting Notre Dame early this afternoon as the main highlight. Also in action are Indiana and Purdue, both of which set to host a pair of mid-majors this evening.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Ohio State Buckeyes
- Time/TV: 12:30 PM ET FS1
- Line: Ohio State -8.5
In what should be the most competitive game of the day the Buckeyes will host Notre Dame. Ohio State’s offense got off to a quick start but had a rough first half against App State on their way to a 75-53 win. Even after a rough outing the Buckeyes have shot 56% from the field and 40%
from three through three games, led by Bruce Thornton’s 25.7 points per game on a .706/.870/.563 slash line. Notre Dame is also 3-0, though their wins have came against Long Island, Detroit and Eastern Illinois. The Irish are pretty undersized and while the offense has looked solid so far, that’s easier to accomplish against mid-major opponents. Ohio State also hasn’t played a tough schedule, but Notre Dame has been offensively challenged the past couple of seasons. If the Irish are finally going to make the next step they’ll need to win games like this. Of course Ohio State has home court advantage and their offense has been highly efficient. If the Buckeyes can limit turnovers and can keep scoring at an efficient clip they should be more than capable of picking up another win.
Pick: Ohio State
Incarnate Word Cardinals at Indiana Hoosiers
- Time/TV: 5:30 PM ET BTN
- Line: Indiana -25.5
Indiana looks to keep rolling today against Incarnate Word. The Hoosiers are 3-0 and have scored at least 98 points in all three games, including a neutral site 100-77 win over Marquette. Incarnate Word is the first of two tune-ups this week before Feast Week. The Cardinals, ranked 213th per KenPom, have won their two past two games against sub-division opponents after losing by 34 to Colorado State. Indiana currently has five players averaging double figures and is shooting 56% from the field, 82% from the line and 48% from three. The Hoosiers offense has been rolling so far and it’s safe to say we can likely expect more of the same today.
Pick: Indiana
Akron Zips at #2 Purdue Boilermakers
- Time/TV: 7:30 PM ET BTN
- Line: Purdue -19.5
Purdue hosts a solid MAC opponent in Akron, currently just inside the top 80 per KenPom. The Boilermakers looked a bit lackluster last week before Thursday’s road win over eighth ranked Alabama. Of course the Boilermakers finally got Trey Kaufman-Renn back from injury and it not only led to an offensive spark, but helped shore up their issues on the glass that caused issues against Oakland. So far Kaufman-Renn paired up with Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen has caused fits for opposing teams (err, team) and with Purdue’s backcourt being anchored by Braden Smith with a set of shooters they’re going to be a tough out for anyone. This is definitely a good mid-major but unless Purdue suffers a massive letdown from the Bama win they should get to 4-0 before facing Memphis at the end of the week.
Pick: Purdue
