Michigan vs.

Michigan and Ohio State did not meet on the soccer field in 2020 as the Wolverines battled COVID-19 issues, but the only basketball meeting scheduled for Sunday on CBS should make up for the grill shock canceled. The No.3 Wolverines and No.4 Buckeyes are both in the mix for a No.1 seed in the NCAA tournament and have been particularly hot lately.

Michigan (15-1, 10-1 Big Ten) have won four straight wins, including two in a row since returning last Sunday after a 23-day break between games. Ohio State (18-4, 12-4) has won seven straight wins, and could still compete for the league title with a win over the Wolverines. This will be the 16th time these teams have met when both are ranked, but it will be their best combined ranking of all time for a series game.

Unlike soccer, a regular season game can’t make or break a basketball season, and these two teams are heading for big NCAA tournament seeds no matter what happens on Sunday. But this top five of rivalry clashes could provide some insight into who is most likely to make a deep playoff run, and it should be one of the best games this season in the ultra-competitive Big Ten.

Information display

• When: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET
• Or: Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio
• TV: CBS | Direct: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app (free)
• THE: CBS Sports app (Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast)

Storylines

Michigan: Michigan limits their opponents to 32% 3-point shots in Big Ten games, which is the second highest score in the conference. The Wolverines’ 39.2% 3-point shot mark in league games is second in the conference. In short, the Wolverines are winning the battle beyond the arc. But they’re also deadly in the paint, where 7-1 center Hunter Dickinson is trying to become the league’s rookie of the year and is the team’s leading scorer with 14.6 points per game. But he has a lot of help with Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner, who are all-round forwards with good size and ability score in multiple places.

Ohio state: EJ Liddell has been a monster recently, averaging 18.1 points per game over the Buckeyes’ seven-game winning streak. The 6-7 sophomore forward is a bit undersized, but is a solid shot blocker nonetheless and is one of the most improved players in the country. While his inner play explains a good deal of the team’s recent success, the Buckeyes also placed second in three points per game at 8.6 during league play. In short, they are an elite offensive team. If there is a question for the state of Ohio to address its home defense. No one over 6-8 is on the regular rotation, which means defending Dickinson could be a challenge.

Game prediction, choose

The Buckeyes are the real deal, but Michigan are the best team they’ve played this season. The Wolverines haven’t missed a beat since their long layoff and have the length and athleticism to be the first team since Purdue on Jan. 19 to hold Ohio State under 70 points. Prediction: Michigan 75, Ohio State 68 (MICH +1.5)

So who wins every college basketball game today? And which outsiders are causing breathtaking upheaval? Visit SportsLine now for picks for every game, all from the unbiased model that simulates every game 10,000 times, and find out.