Penn State vs Ohio State Prediction 1/26/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions will meet on Monday night in a Big Ten matchup at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview

The Ohio State Buckeyes enter Monday night’s contest with a 13–6 win‑loss record, including a 5–4 mark in conference play and a 9-2 record at home. The Buckeyes have compiled wins over IU Indianapolis, Purdue Fort Wayne, Appalachian State, Notre Dame, Western Michigan, Mount St. Mary’s, and Northwestern, while dropping one game to the Pittsburgh Panthers. In the Ohio State Buckeyes 86–82 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats earlier this month, Ohio State forward Brandon Noel tallied 29 points on 13 of 15 shooting from the field. Noel also grabbed 7 rebounds in the game.

The Ohio State Buckeyes average 82.1 points (55th in the nation) on 49.3 percent shooting from the field (23rd in the country) and 33.7 percent shooting from three‑point range per game. The Buckeyes are allowing opponents 72.3 points per contest.

Senior guard Bruce Thornton leads the Ohio State Buckeyes backcourt averaging 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Senior forward Brandon Noel adds 7.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1 assist per game, while freshman guard John Mobley Jr. contributes 15.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest.

Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview

The Penn State Nittany Lions enter Monday’s contest with a 9–10 record, including an 0-8 mark in conference play and a 1-3 record on the road. The Nittany Lions have amassed wins over Harvard, La Salle, Navy, Fairfield, Bucknell and Rider, while losing recent games to Wisconsin, Maryland, UCLA, Michigan and the Purdue Boilermakers. In the Penn State Nittany Lions thrilling 84–80 win over Harvard earlier this season, Penn State guard Kayden Mingo compiled 24 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists illustrating his ability to lead the Nittany Lions .

The Penn State Nittany Lions are averaging 76.5 points per game on 46.6 percent shooting from the field and 32.9 percent shooting from the three‑point line. Defensively, the Nittany Lions are allowing opponents 77.4 points per game on 46.1 percent shooting from the field.

Freshman guard Kayden Mingo has been a steady contributor for the Nittany Lions averaging 14.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Freshman guard Melih Tunca provides perimeter versatility averaging 9.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.8 steals per contest. Senior forward Josh Reed anchors the paint with 9.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

Why the Ohio State Buckeyes will win

•             Elite offense. Through 19 games played this season, the Ohio State Buckeyes average 82.1 points (53rd in nation) on 49.3 percent shooting from the field (23rd in country) per game.

•             Balanced roster. Thornton, Noel, and Mobley Jr. provide scoring, rebounding, and playmaking ability.

•             Quality guard play. Bruce Thornton and John Mobley Jr. combine for over 35 points per game.

Why the Penn State Nittany Lions will win

•            Elite guard play. Through 19 games played in the 2025 season, the Penn State Nittany Lions have three guards averaging over 10 points per game.

•            Balanced scoring attack. Four players average at least 9.2 points per game, giving the Penn State Nittany Lions multiple options on the offensive side of the basketball.

•            Enhanced motivation. The Penn State Nittany Lions arrive at tomorrow’s regular season contest on the heels of a six-game losing streak.   

Ohio State vs. Penn State Prediction

This matchup features the Ohio State Buckeyes offensive efficiency, rebounding strength and home court advantage against a Penn State team still searching for its first conference win (0-8) in 2025. I think it’s fair to say that the Penn State Nittany Lions have not played particularly well to this point of the 2025 NCAA regular season. Now that the Nittany Lions draw a far superior Ohio State team tomorrow night. With that said, the clear side to be on here is the Buckeyes. I expect Ohio State Buckeyes to pull away from the Nittany Lions in the second half and win this game rather easily.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Ohio State -12.5