The Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, OR. Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. ET on BTN.
Oregon is favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a price of 64-cent to win and the total set at 153.5 points on Fanatics Markets.
Here's my Ohio State vs. Oregon prediction and college basketball picks for January 8, 2026.
Ohio State vs Oregon Prediction
My Pick: Oregon -3.5
My Ohio State vs Oregon best bet is on the Ducks to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Ohio State vs. Oregon Odds, Spread
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Ohio State vs Oregon NCAAB Betting Preview
Ohio State Basketball
Ohio State is building quite the bubbly resume in Jake Diebler’s second full season at the helm. The 10-4 Buckeyes have played really close games with the best teams on their schedule, but they've come up short against a handful of teams.
Most recently, a golden opportunity for a Quad 1 win slipped away late at home against undefeated Nebraska on Monday, with the Buckeyes eventually falling 72-69.
Bruce Thornton is one of the best point guards in the country, and the senior floor general is super productive while taking great care of the basketball. Bruce has upped his scoring to 20.6 points a game, while adding 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists to just 1.3 turnovers.
His backcourt mate John Mobley Jr. is a nuclear shooter, connecting on 40% of his 3-point attempts on the season. He nailed five deep ones on his way to 22 points in the Nebraska loss.
Ohio State is a thin team, and it just got a little thinner. Wright State transfer Brandon Noel is the Buckeyes' best player off the bench, and he’s now out indefinitely.
The Buckeyes rank 27th offensively on KenPom, and land at 67th on the other end of the floor. They're shooting 61.7% from inside the arc on the year, good for eighth in the country.
Oregon Basketball
It’s been a season to forget thus far for Dana Altman and the Ducks, who dropped to 8-7 on the campaign after an 88-85 overtime loss at Rutgers on Saturday
From November 24 to December 6, Oregon played five straight top-50 opponents and lost each game (four of which were by double digits).
Two of those losses were without Nate Bittle, and Jackson Shelstad was out for a second consecutive game against Rutgers. At the time of writing, he’s questionable to play in this one.
Everything starts and ends with Bittle, as he’s one of the best big men in the country. The fifth-year player is averaging 17 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, along with 2.4 blocks. He's had a big time turnover issue lately, with 12 combined giveaways across his last two games.
Shelstad, when healthy, is the lead ball handler for this team. He has in the gym shooting range, although he’s shooting a career-low 31% from distance right now.
The Ducks received a breakout game from Linsanity, aka Wei Lin, against Rutgers. Lin hadn’t scored in double figures until Monday night, when he exploded for 23 points with six made 3s and five assists.
Oregon ranks 77th offensively on KenPom and 84th on the defensive end.
The Ducks' best stat as a team is their offensive rebounding percentage, which ranks 22nd nationally. Bittle plays a part in that, as does Ohio State transfer Sean Stewart, who's 47th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage.
Ohio State vs. Oregon Betting Analysis
This is Ohio State’s first trip to Eugene as a member of the Big Ten. Last season in Columbus, the Ducks squeaked out a 73-71 win on the road.
Can Thornton and the Buckeye get revenge here? Or will Stewart get revenge on his former team?
Honestly, this one comes down to Shelstad’s status for me. If he’s a go, I think Oregon can ride Bittle and its depth advantage into a win and cover here.
If he’s out, I’d side with the better more consistent team in Ohio State.
My Pick: Oregon -3.5 (If Shelstad Plays)
