CBS Sports Classic
United Center - Chicago, IL
Tip-off: Saturday, 1:00 p.m. ET
Line: Ohio State -1, Total: 149

No. 12 Ohio State looks to continue its surprisingly fast start to the season when it faces No. 24 North Carolina on Saturday in Chicago.

The Buckeyes (3-5-1 ATS) have been one of the surprises in college basketball this season, with their lone setback this season coming against Louisville on the road. The biggest reason for Ohio State’s early success is because of the strong play on offense, as it is the only team in college basketball to rank in the Top 10 in both two-point field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage. The offense was a real struggle for OSU last season, but the team is playing at a faster pace this year, as the Buckeyes average possessions are the third shortest in college basketball. The Tar Heels (6-4 ATS) were supposed to be one of the best teams in the country, but it has been a struggle so far. One of North Carolina’s losses on the season is to another Big Ten team, Iowa. Roy Williams’ team has not lost four non-conference games in the season since 2010-2011, but that team went to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Williams is also 46-24 ATS after allowing 60 points or less as the UNC head coach, while Thad Matta is 65-40 ATS versus teams that make 45%+ FG and allow 42% FG or less. There are no new injuries for either team.

Which top-25 team will win on Saturday? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks. The experts have begun the 2014-15 season with a bang, posting a collective 53.2% ATS mark (75-66) in Best Bets. The five experts are led by StatFox Gary's stellar 64% ATS mark (18-10), while StatFox Brian is 55% ATS (16-13) and StatFox Zach is 54% ATS (15-13) to open the season.

The Buckeyes have had problems on the offensive end of the court the past two seasons, but through five games, their offense has been great. Ohio State enters this game ranked third in the nation in shooting (53.7% FG), 10th in scoring (84.2 PPG), 13th in assists (17.4 APG) and 106th in rebounding (37.1 RPG). The leading scorer for Ohio State is freshman SG D’Angelo Russell (18.0 PPG, 5.2 APG, 4.4 RPG), who has quickly shown that he is capable of leading the team deep in the postseason. He has shown a lot of poise for a freshman, helping the Buckeyes offense really turn the corner from last season’s team. SF Sam Thompson (10.2 PPG, 55% FG, 4.4 RPG) is one of the most athletic players in all of college basketball. With the Buckeyes looking to get out in transition more this past season, and it has really benefitted Thompson. SF Marc Loving (11.3 PPG, 57% FG, 2.3 RPG) and PG Shannon Scott (8.1 PPG, 7.8 APG) are two more guys who can carry the load on the offensive end. Scott has continued his success after a great start to the season sharing the ball with his teammates. He recorded 12 assists and only one turnover in Wednesday's win over North Carolina A&T, which increases his assist-to-turnover ratio to 3.3 for the season.

The Tar Heels have had some struggles this season, but they have done a great job on the glass, ranking 4th in the nation in rebounding (44.3 RPG). They also rank 14th in assists (17.3 APG), 21st in scoring (80.0 PPG) and 113th in shooting (45.3% FG). The star of the team is PG Marcus Paige (13.1 PPG, 3.5 APG, 2.0 RPG), who was picked as a preseason All-American. However, he has been off the mark this season, as he is shooting only 35% from the field. PF Kennedy Meeks (13.8 PPG, 9.1 RPG) and C Brice Johnson (11.3 PPG, 52% FG, 6.8 RPG) are two guys that the Tar Heels are counting on to get the team back on track. North Carolina has really struggled shooting from long range (28.9% threes), and that has allowed defenses to sag off and bottle up the paint.