There has been a consistent theme with the Illini following a big win this season. Illinois is coming off a surprise 23-point win over Michigan without Ayo Dosunmu. It's the fifth time Illinois has won a game by at least 20 points this season. The Illini are 1-4 ATS in the following game, with the lone cover coming against Chicago State in the team's second game of the season. Ohio State has performed very well against the Illini the last couple of years, with E.J. Liddell in particular finding success. I like the Buckeyes today, whether Illinois gets Ayo back or not.

I'm 100 percent with Larry Hartstein on this one as it seems a sure-fire letdown game for the Illini off Tuesday's historic win (the school's highest-ranked road victory ever) at No. 2 Michigan. Thing is, Illinois can't win the Big Ten regular-season title and most likely will remain without All-American candidate Ayo Dosunmu. What's the motivation here? This is much more important for the Buckeyes, who once were considered a potential No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed candidate but have dropped three in a row and may not even get a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament.

This appears to be a great situational spot for the struggling Buckeyes as Illinois is off Tuesday's shocking blowout win at Michigan, due a letdown and most likely without star Ayo Dosunmu again. OSU won at Illinois 87-81 on Jan. 17 when Dosunmu was healthy. Give the 2 points.