The 5th-seeded Ohio Bobcats (19-13) and No. 1 Toledo Rockets (26-6) tangle in a Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinal Friday. The contest at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland will tip off at 5 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Ohio vs. Toledo odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Ohio drubbed Ball State 90-70 in a Thursday quarterfinal as a 1.5-point underdog. The Bobcats are an up-tempo team that has scored 90-plus in back-to-back games now. When they played the Rockets in the regular season, it was a 90 on the other side of the scorebook as Ohio lost to 8.5=point favorite Toledo 90-75 on Jan. 17 while the 159.5 Over hit.
Toledo defeated Miami (Ohio) 91-75 on Thursday as 13.5-point favorites to earn its 16th consecutive victory. This veteran Rockets group has now won 4 of its last 5 games by 15 points or more. Toledo went 8-of-21 from distance against Miami; the Rockets rank No. 2 in the nation in 3-point accuracy (40.2%).
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Ohio vs. Toledo odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 11:49 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Off the board
- Against the spread (ATS): Ohio +5.5 (-115) | Toledo -5.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 162.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Ohio vs. Toledo picks and predictions
Prediction
Toledo 83, Ohio 74
Moneyline
Not available.
Against the spread
The Rockets are 6-1 ATS in the last 7 games of this series.
Toledo has the better ability to score inside and a more diverse approach on offense overall. Ohio’s defense has been solid in the team’s last 2 games, but in the longer view the Bobcats don’t be able to stay within 2 scores in this contest.
BET THE ROCKETS -5.5 (-105).
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Over/Under
Both teams play faster than an average pace, and both sport efficient offenses. And the total here overcompensates for those factors. Don’t expect a lot of turnover/transition ball or an abundance of 2nd-chance buckets.
In the neutral venue, bank on a lower total. TAKE THE UNDER 162.5 (-110).
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