Halftime Report
Auburn has overcome an early deficit to take the lead back in this one. After one quarter their offense has really been able to impose its will, dominating Ohio State 49-21.
Auburn already has four blowout wins this season, but why stop there? Barring a freak comeback, they will be celebrating another huge victory in the locker room very soon.
Who’s Playing
Auburn Tigers @ Ohio State Buckeyes
Current Records: Auburn 8-1, Ohio State 6-3
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET
- Where: State Farm Arena — Atlanta, Georgia
- TV: ESPN2
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $56.32
What to Know
The Ohio State Buckeyes will face off against the Auburn Tigers at 1:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at State Farm Arena. The Buckeyes are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they’ve averaged 82.2 points per game this season.
Ohio State took a loss when they played away from home last Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They came out on top against Rutgers by a score of 80-66.
Ohio State’s success was spearheaded by the efforts of Devin Royal, who went 9 for 12 en route to 22 points plus six rebounds, and Bruce Thornton, who went 8 for 13 en route to 22 points. Thornton had some trouble finding his footing against Maryland last Wednesday, so this was a nice turnaround. Meechie Johnson Jr., on the other hand, was considerably less helpful: he went 0-5 from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Auburn was the big favorite in their most recent match, and for good reason. They claimed a resounding 98-54 victory over Richmond. The Tigers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four matchups by 23 points or more this season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Auburn to victory, but perhaps none more so than Miles Kelly, who posted 15 points in addition to five rebounds and three steals. Chad Baker-Mazara was another key player, going 5 for 8 en route to 13 points plus six rebounds and five assists.
Auburn was working as a unit and finished the game with 23 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Richmond only posted eight.
Ohio State’s win bumped their record up to 6-3. As for Auburn, they pushed their record up to 8-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season.
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 82.2 points per game. However, it’s not like Auburn struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 87. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Ohio State is hoping to beat the odds on Saturday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss. Those interested in the spread don’t face an easy decision since they are 6-3 and Auburn is 0-1.
Odds
Auburn is a big 11.5-point favorite against Ohio State, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The line on this game has moved quite a bit since it opened, as it started out with the Buckeyes as a 8.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 153.5 points.
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