2011 Big Ten Conference Tournament – Northwestern Wildcats vs Ohio St. Buckeyes
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Northwestern vs. Ohio State Matchup
Date/Time: Friday, March 11, 12 PM ET
Venue: Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Broadcast: ESPN
Northwestern Wildcats vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Lines from Diamond
Money Line: Off
Spread: Off
Over/Under: Off
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The Northwestern Wildcats got past the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament, but now they face the top-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes. Northwestern almost beat the Buckeyes earlier this year, but this Ohio State team is playing extremely well right now.
Most sportsbooks have put the Buckeyes at just about even money to win the Big Ten Tournament.
The Northwestern Wildcats run a version of the Princeton-offense, as coached by Bill Carmody. This is a team that has several guys who can take over in any given game on the offensive end.
John Shurna is generally the guy they will go to in the clutch situations because of his ability to score in the post or score from behind the arc. Most people don’t realize how solid the Northwestern backcourt is. Drew Crawford and Michael “Juice” Thompson do a very good job taking care of the ball, and both can shoot it from deep as well.
Thompson scored 35 points in Northwestern’s 75-65 win over Minnesota Thursday. Those 35 points were enough for Big Ten Tournament record for a single game point total. The Wildcats are much weaker this year on the defensive end than normal. Northwestern is allowing opponents to shoot 48% from the floor. 
The Ohio State Buckeyes went 29-2 in the regular season, and they certainly finished it out in style with a huge win over Wisconsin last Sunday. The Buckeyes made an astonishing 14 straight three-pointers as they routed the Badgers. Jared Sullinger is the main man down low for the Buckeyes, and he will be a matchup problem for Northwestern.
The Buckeyes have plenty of weapons on the outside as well, and they are definitely one of the best shooting teams in the nation. Jon Diebler has made 17 of his last 20 three point shots! He is the best shooter in the nation this year. William Buford is a guy who can create his own shot at any time.
David Lighty is a great defender and a slasher, and Aaron Craft is a very scrappy point guard for the Buckeyes.
This is a team that has a chance to do some real damage in March because of their amazing balance.
Trends:
Over is 24-11 in NWEST last 35 overall.
Over is 38-18 in NWEST last 56 vs. Big Ten.
Over is 16-5 in OHIOS last 21 vs. Big Ten.
Under is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings.
The Pick:
I fully expect Northwestern to do everything they can to slow this game down to a crawl. The under might be worth a look. I think Ohio State will assert themselves pretty early on in this one, and I like the Buckeyes to win comfortably.
Prediction: Ohio State 68 Northwestern 53
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