Mick Cronin has several problems as head coach of the UCLA Bruins. First is the Ghost of John Wooden. The late great UCLA coach set an impossible standard in a bygone era when he looked the other way as Sam Gilbert made under-the-table NIL payments, then known as cheating. Beyond that, Cronin made the “mistake” of taking UCLA to the 2021 Final Four. Hence, he set College Basketball odds expectations that can’t be achieved annually. Additionally, Cronin has to deal with the insane Wild West era of no rules, NIL, and the revolving door portal.
On Saturday, the Ohio State Buckeyes host the UCLA Bruins in a CBS Saturday game. The matchup is more about branding than about the reality of a national championship.
UCLA Bruins at Ohio State Buckeyes College Basketball Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Saturday, January 17, 2026, 1 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Value City Arena, Columbus, OH |
| TV Coverage: | CBS |
| Betting Online Odds at SBG: | Click Here |
UCLA at Ohio State Betting Odds Analysis
Despite a respectable record, UCLA has been a terrible value on the board. UCLA’s brand is so big that it has to win nearly every game, by wide margins, just to break even. In like manner, Ohio State is deep in the red ink.
UCLA Bruins Team Overview
The UCLA Bruins are 12-5 straight up, 7-10 against the spread, and 9-8 over/under the online betting total. Late on, UCLA has covered two out of its last six games. While the Bruins have gone under the total in four of their previous four matchups.
UCLA has NCAABB metrics of 193rd for scoring offense, 62nd for field goal percentage, 51st for 3-point field goal percentage, 54th for free throw percentage, and 334th for offensive rebounding. In comparison on defense, the Bruins have NCAABB metrics of 49th for scoring defense, 88th for field goal percentage permitted, 31st for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 67th for defensive rebounding.
Ohio State Buckeyes Team Overview
The Ohio State Buckeyes are 11-5 straight up, 6-10 against the spread, and 7-9 over/under the college basketball total. Late on, Ohio State has covered two out of its last eight games. While the Buckeyes have gone under the total in five of their previous six matchups.
Ohio State has NCAABB metrics of 102nd in scoring offense, 23rd in field goal percentage, 192nd in 3-point field goal percentage, 7th in free throw percentage, and 225th in offensive rebounding. In comparison on defense, the 104th Buckeyes NCAABB metrics of 104th for scoring defense, 84th for field goal percentage permitted, 35th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 34th for defensive rebounding.
UCLA at Ohio State Betting Trends
UCLA covered the spread in only five of its last 16 away games. The Bruins went over the total in 13 of their most recent 20 matchups. Ohio State got the cash in only three of its last 12 home games. The Buckeyes went under the total in five of its last seven home games.
In the series between Ohio State and UCLA, the Bruins covered the spread in only one of the last four meetings. The Bruins and Buckeyes went under the total in their two most recent meetings. Specifically at Ohio State, UCLA covered only one of its last four visits. In fact, the home team is 5-0 against the spread in this series. Two of the last three games between the Bruins and Buckeyes at Ohio State went over the total.
UCLA at Ohio State SBG Free Picks
With all else being equal, home court is a proven advantage in this series. Thus, Ohio State is the call.
UCLA at Ohio State SBG Best Bet: Ohio State Buckeyes.