Ohio State vs. Rutgers prediction: Why Ohio State is favored to win men's college basketball matchup [1/2/2026]

Men's college basketball action continues on Friday at 8:00 PM ET as the favored Ohio State locks horns with Rutgers in men's college basketball action at Jersey Mike's Arena.

Based on updated simulation results, Dimers' advanced college basketball model projects Ohio State as the most likely winner of the Ohio State vs. Rutgers game.

This article offers further insights into Friday's matchup, including an expanded look at the predicted score, best bets and picks.

Ohio State vs. Rutgers prediction: Who will win and cover?

Using trusted machine learning and data, we have simulated the result of Friday's NCAA basketball matchup between Ohio State and Rutgers 10,000 times as part of our men's college basketball predictions coverage.

Our leading predictive model currently gives Ohio State a 78% chance of defeating Rutgers. Our predicted final score has Ohio State winning 79-71.

According to our model, Rutgers (+9.5) has a 55% chance of covering the spread, while the 151.5-point over/under has a 52% chance of staying under.

Ohio State vs. Rutgers odds

We have sourced the best men's college basketball odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Ohio State vs. Rutgers picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best available odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

According to our best men's college basketball bets, the top play to make on this game is Rutgers +9.5 at the spread.

Ohio State vs. Rutgers game-day updates and essential details

Friday's men's college basketball action between Rutgers and Ohio State at Jersey Mike's Arena is scheduled to start at 8:00 PM ET.

• Who: Ohio State vs. Rutgers
• Date: Friday, January 2, 2026
• Time: 8:00 PM ET/5:00PM PT
• Venue: Jersey Mike's Arena

Conclusion

We predict Ohio State, with a 78% win probability, will likely beat Rutgers on Friday.

AI and automation have enhanced this article to quickly deliver accurate Ohio State vs. Rutgers insights, with human oversight ensuring high editorial quality. Our predictions are based on up-to-date data to help you make informed decisions. For additional resources and advice on responsible gambling, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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