Youngstown State Penguins vs Ohio State Buckeyes Prediction, 11/6/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Youngstown State Penguins vs Ohio State Buckeyes

Date: Friday, November 6, 2026

Location: Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH

TV: B1G+

Odds/Point Spread: Youngstown State (+25.5)

The Youngstown State Penguins (1-0) are traveling to Schottenstein Center on Friday where they will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes (0-1). Youngstown State is 25.5-point dogs. The total has been set at 153.5.

The Youngstown State Penguins stepped onto the hardwood against St. Bonaventure and earned the victory with a final of 79-71 in their last game. Youngstown State walked away from the game having earned a 38.8% field goal percentage (26 of 67) and buried 12 out of their 32 three-point attempts. At the charity stripe, the Penguins buried 15 of their 21 attempts for a percentage of 71.4%. When it comes to hauling in rebounds, they earned 42 with 16 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 17 dimes for the matchup while creating 13 turnovers and earning 8 steals. In terms of defense, Youngstown State let their opponent shoot 46.7% from the floor on 28 out of 60 shooting. St. Bonaventure earned 13 dimes and had 10 steals for the contest. In addition, St. Bonaventure snagged 37 rebounds (11 offensive, 26 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. St. Bonaventure finished shooting 42.9% at the free throw line by making 9 of their 21 attempts. They converted 6 of 17 shots from 3-point land. Concerning fouls, the Penguins ended up walking away with 19 and St. Bonaventure finished the game with 14 fouls.

Linus Holmstrom is one player who was a contributor for the matchup. He notched 26 points on 8 of 16 shooting. He was on the court for 34 minutes and also totaled 8 boards. He finished the game shooting 50.0% from the field and earned 2 dimes.

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Youngstown State will play this contest with a mark of 1-0 for the campaign. They currently have an average of 79.0 points per game (183rd in college hoops) while hitting 38.8% from the floor. The Penguins are shooting 37.5% on three-point shots (12 of 32) and 71.4% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Youngstown State is grabbing 47.0 boards per game and has totaled 17 assists so far this year, which ranks 166th in college hoops in terms of passing the ball. They are losing possession via turnover 13.0 times per contest and as a team they commit 19.0 fouls every game.

When they are on defense, the Penguins are forcing 13.0 turnovers per game while drawing 14.0 fouls. They are ranked 205th in the country in giving up assists to the opposition with 13 conceded on the season. Penguins defense is giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 46.7% (28 of 60) and they surrender 38.0 rebounds per game as a unit. They are relinquishing 35.3% from beyond the arc and they rank 194th in the country in points per game allowed (71.0).

When they last stepped on the hardwood, the Ohio State Buckeyes walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 94-83 when they faced BYU. The Buckeyes snagged 22 defensive boards and 9 offensive boards totaling 31 in this game. They also coughed up the ball 9 times, while earning 6 steals for the contest. BYU had 19 personal fouls in the game which took the Buckeyes to the free throw line for 19 shots. They were able to convert 18 of those for a clip of 94.7%. When it comes to shots from distance, Ohio State made 9 of 28 attempts (32.1%). When all was said and done, the Buckeyes went 28 for 60 from the field which had them sitting at 46.7%. The Buckeyes permitted BYU to convert 31 of 59 tries from the field which had them shooting 52.5% for the matchup. They finished the game shooting 42.3% from beyond the arc via 11 out of 26 and ended up shooting 21 out of 27 from the charity stripe (77.8%). Regarding attacking the glass, Ohio State allowed BYU to get 27 overall (7 on the offensive side).

Amare Bynum ended up being a major contributor for the Buckeyes in this matchup. He buried 7 of 10 in this matchup for a field goal rate of 70.0%, and accumulated 3 rebounds. He earned 20 points in his 35 minutes on the court and had 4 assists for the game.

Ohio State has a mark of 0-1 on the year. The Buckeyes are committing 23.0 fouls every game and they go 94.7% from the charity stripe. Their rate of earning assists is at 18.0 times per contest (113th in college) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 11.0 times per game. Ohio State has 83 points on the year and they grab 33.0 boards per game. When it comes to executing on offense, the Buckeyes are shooting 46.7% from the field, which has them ranked 169th in the nation.

The Ohio State defense concedes 42.3% on shots from behind the 3-point line (11 of 26) and opponents are converting on 77.8% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have allowed 12.0 dimes and 32.0 rebounds on a nightly basis, which is ranked 187th and 143rd in the nation. The Buckeyes defensively are ranked 331st in college hoops in points given up per game with 94.0. They are forcing their opponents into 8.0 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 52.5% from the field (327th in college).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Youngstown State (+25.5)

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