The Toledo Rockets will look to continue their recent regular-season dominance over the Ohio Bobcats when they meet in a key Mid-American Conference matchup on Friday night. The Rockets (14-4, 6-1), who are riding a five-game winning streak, have gone 8-3 in the regular season against Ohio since 2011-12. The Bobcats (14-2, 5-0), who have been on a tear, winning nine in a row, defeated top-seeded Toledo 87-80 in the MAC Tournament semifinals last spring. Toledo has opened league play with six wins in seven tries for the second year in a row and for the third time under coach Tod Kowalczyk.
The game from the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio, is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. Toledo is averaging 79.4 points per game, while Ohio averages 74.2. The Bobcats are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Toledo vs. Ohio odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 148. Before making any Ohio vs. Toledo picks, make sure you check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,400 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Toledo vs. Ohio, and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Ohio vs. Toledo:
- Toledo vs. Ohio spread: Ohio -4.5
- Toledo vs. Ohio over-under: 148 points
- TOL: The Rockets are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games following an ATS win
- OHIO: The Bobcats are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a straight-up win of more than 20 points
Featured Game | Ohio Bobcats vs. Toledo Rockets
Why Ohio can cover
Senior forward Ben Vander Plas has reached double-figure scoring in 11 games, including a 23-point effort in Tuesday’s big win at Miami (Ohio). It was his second 20-plus game in the past three games as he also scored 20 points in the Jan. 7 win over Kent State. For the season, Vander Plas is averaging 12.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals. He is hitting on 44.5 percent of his field goals, including 35.9 percent from 3-point range, and 74.3 percent of his foul shots.
Junior guard Miles Brown has been a steadying force on offense and has reached double-digit scoring five times. His best game was a 19-point and six-rebound performance in an 88-68 win over Concordia on Nov. 26. For the season, Brown is averaging 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He has been hot from the field, connecting on 43.8 percent from the floor, including 35.4 percent from 3-point range, and 82.4 percent from the foul line.
Why Toledo can cover
The Rockets have four players averaging in double figures, led by sophomore guard Ryan Rollins. Rollins scored a career-high 35 points vs. Coastal Carolina on Nov. 24 and ranks second in the conference with 19.3 points per game and 1.9 steals. He was the 2020-21 MAC Freshman of the Year and earned honorable mention all-conference. In two games against Ohio last season, Rollins averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 assists per game. Rollins has shot 50 percent or better in four consecutive games and is shooting 52.6 percent from the floor during this stretch. He has scored in double figures in 42 of 48 career games.
Junior forward J.T. Shumate, who averages 15.4 points per game, leads the team with 6.8 rebounds and 56.3 percent shooting from the floor, including 52.1 percent from 3-point range. His eight-game streak of shooting 50 percent or better from three-point range came to an end in Tuesday’s win over Ball State when he went 1-for-5 from beyond the arc. He has scored in double digits in all but one game this season. Against the Bobcats in 2020-21, Shumate averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds.
How to make Toledo vs. Ohio picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the point total. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s Ohio vs. Toledo pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Toledo vs. Ohio? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Toledo vs. Ohio spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,400 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.