Ohio State vs Robert Morris 11/7/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Robert Morris Colonials and the Ohio State Buckeyes meet in a college basketball matchup from Value City Arena on Monday night.

The Robert Morris Colonials will try to bounce back from a disappointing 2021-22 campaign where the Colonials finished at 8-24 overall, including 5-16 in Horizon League play. The Colonials upset Youngstown State in the first round as the 10-seed before falling to top-seeded Cleveland State in the quarterfinals. The Colonials do have to replace five players from last year’s roster, highlighted by the departure of Rasheem Dunn (12.8 PPG, 4.1 APG), but there are still solid returning pieces like leading scorer and rebounder Kahliel Spear (14.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG) as well as Michael Green (10.4 PPG, team-high 3.3 APG). The Colonials haven’t had the easiest start to their Horizon League tenure, but the pieces are there for Robert Morris to contend for the top half of the Horizon League this season.

The Ohio State Buckeyes will try to build on their solid 2021-22 season, finishing at 20-12 overall, including a 12-8 mark in Big Ten conference play. The Buckeyes got the 6-seed in the Big Ten tournament but were upended by Penn State in the second round. The Buckeyes would receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, taking out Loyola-Chicago in the first round as a 7-seed before falling to Villanova in the second round. The Buckeyes lose two of their best players from last year in E.J. Liddell (19.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG) as well as Malaki Branham (13.7 PPG), but still have returning pieces like Zed Key (7.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and Justice Sueing (6 PPG, 3.5 RPG). The Buckeyes also hit the transfer portal hard, bringing in Tanner Holden (20.1 PPG, 7 RPG) from Wright State while Sean McNeil (12.2 PPG) comes over from West Virginia and Isaac Likekele (7.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.4 APG) transfers in from Stillwater, leaving Oklahoma State to become a Buckeye and lead that backcourt. This will be one of the teams to watch as there is a high amount of variance as to what to expect from this team. This could be a sweet 16 Buckeyes team, or it could also be a team that barely makes it to .500.

Robert Morris is 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 road games while the over is 4-1 in their last 5 games overall. Ohio State is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 Monday games and 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall while the over is 4-0 in their last 4 Monday games.

The Colonials may have some decent pieces like Spear and Green for when they go rolling into conference play, but I’m afraid for Robert Morris, that that’s not going to save them here. Ohio State’s the better team that’s been able to reload pretty well after losing a lot of talent in the offseason. I’ll side with Ohio State laying the big number here.