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Posted at 11:15 AM EST

4:30 PM EST. The Buckeyes are on the bubble and desperately need a signature win and an excellent showing in the Big Ten Tournament to make their case to the selection committee and they'll get a chance to check that first box with ranked Wisconsin coming to Columbus this afternoon. The market is going to be against Ohio State for a couple of reasons today with the first being back-to-back losses to Northwestern and Purdue, but those games were both contested on the road and without leading scorer and rebounder Kaleb Wesson. Wesson was suspended on March 1 for athletics department violations and he will not play again today. With Wesson absent again, the Buckeyes might look like an easy target, but we are big believers in the "next man up" philosophy. The oddsmakers know Wesson won't play and they still set this line in a range that is going to make it very easy to walk up to the window and bet Wisconsin.

The Badgers are the #21 in the nation and they rolled over Iowa on Thursday night in a 65-45 victory. Fading a team coming off a blowout win like that has been an angle we've been playing this season, as those schools are often overvalued and spotting an inflated price the next time out. The Badgers have also won four of their last five games, which also furthers their appeal in the market, but spotting points on the road in conference has not been a role well suited for Whisky. In its only loss over that five-game stretch, Wisconsin was a 2½-point favorite at Indiana and the Badgers dropped that game outright. While they aren't world beaters, the Buckeyes are looking down at the Hoosiers in the standings, yet, the Badgers are spotting a similar number in Columbus as they did in Bloomington. That's enough for us to trust that there is a premium to be paid to back the Badgers today. You've been warned.

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