Saturday’s college basketball slate is loaded on FOX, right down to the nightcap between the 15th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
This weekend’s clash (8:00 p.m. ET) features a pair of programs trending in opposite directions. Virginia seeks to maintain a top spot in the ACC, whereas Ohio State is merely trying to form its case to eventually make the NCAA Tournament.
Below, we’ll break down our Virginia vs. Ohio State prediction and picks for Saturday’s game. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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Rankings and statistics used in this story are listed entering Friday night’s play.
Virginia vs. Ohio State Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
In head coach Ryan Odom’s first year on the job, he’s done a remarkable job turning around this Virginia program. The Cavaliers are off to a roaring 21-3 start, pacing to have their best season in nearly a decade.
The Buckeyes, meanwhile, have also improved in head coach Jake Diebler’s second year but remain an uninspiring product. They’re 16-8 through 24 games, currently occupying a middle-of-the-pack spot in the Big Ten standings. A Saturday win would help a ton, even with it not being a conference game.
Dating back to 1949, this is just the sixth all-time meeting between Virginia and Ohio State. The Buckeyes own the series lead with a 3-2 advantage, but the Cavaliers can knot things up this weekend.
Virginia vs. Ohio State Over/Under, Spread
Virginia enters Saturday’s game as 4.5-point road favorites, returning a 1.38x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
Ohio State is a home underdog with a 2.7x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: Virginia Cavaliers -4.5
- Over/Under: 161.5
- Game Winner Payout: Cavaliers 1.38x | Buckeyes 2.7x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Virginia vs. Ohio State Prediction on Spread
Here are some stats to know to help you make your Virginia vs. Ohio State prediction on Saturday, February 14.
- Neither team fares well in its spread-related scenario here. Virginia is 1-4 ATS as a road favorite, and Ohio State is winless (0-2 ATS) as home underdogs.
- Virginia ranks 49th in per-game scoring at 81.9 PPG, also bringing down the sixth-most boards per night (41.7).
- Defensively, the Cavaliers limit opponents to sub-30% 3-point shooting (29.4%, 13th) and the seventh-lowest effective field goal clip (44.8%).
- Ohio State’s offense struggles to can the trey-ball, making just 34.1% of them (176th).
- The Buckeyes allow 73.7 PPG, sitting 151st nationally, while also ceding 51.6% of 2-point tries (174th).
Virginia vs. Ohio State Picks for PrizePicks Today: 2/14/2026
Here are three top Virginia vs. Ohio State picks to target for Saturday, February 14 on PrizePicks. Player stat projections via PrizePicks are headlined by F Thijs De Ridder, G Bruce Thornton, and G John Mobley Jr.
Virginia F Thijs De Ridder vs. Ohio State Projection: 22.5 Pts + Rebs
- De Ridder brings home a combined average of 22.7 points and rebounds. In conference play, against grittier competition, that number is up to 23.4.
- The freshman forward owns an impressive .472 free throw rate, which spiked to .489 in ACC outings.
- According to Bart Torvik, De Ridder is sixth among ACC freshmen in usage rate (27.1%).
- Entering the weekend, De Ridder boasts a 10.8% offensive rebounding clip. Ohio State ranks 260th with an average of 9.6 O-boards allowed per contest.
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Ohio State G Bruce Thornton vs. Virginia Projection: 26.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Thornton averages 28.4 points, rebounds, and assists per game. Over the course of his last 10 contests, that figure is down to 26.2.
- The senior guard doesn’t shy away from the 3-ball, attempting 4.5 a game. UVA’s stingy long-range defense (33rd in 3-pointers made each night) could be a roadblock.
- Virginia is the fifth-best offensive rebounding team in Division I, which might limit Thornton’s opportunities to impact the game on the other end.
- While Thornton has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.71, it’s fallen to 2.12 in his last four games. He’s recorded 2+ turnovers in each outing.
Ohio State G John Mobley vs. Virginia Projection: 16 Pts + Asts
- Twenty-four games into his sophomore season, Mobley drops 17.9 combined points and assists per night. In his last nine games, that ledger increased to 19.0.
- Mobley converts on 87.8% of his trips to the free throw line. That’s one of Virginia’s lone weaknesses as a defense, where they rank 204th (72.6%).
- Per CBB Shot Charts, Mobley cans 62% of his long midrange shots on the right wing. The Cavaliers yield a 46% mark on those tough looks.
- Similar to his teammate Thornton, Mobley loves 3-pointers, trying 7.3 nightly. Virginia is tough, but at such high volume, variance could come to his aid.
Make #15 Virginia vs. Ohio State Picks on PrizePicks
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