Maryland Terrapins at Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview
It will be a Big Ten showdown on Sunday as the Maryland Terrapins (11-11, 3-8 in Big Ten) take on the No. 16 Ohio State Buckeyes (13-5, 6-3 in Big Ten). The Buckeyes will host this one at the Value City Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 1:00 pm ET.
Maryland comes in on a two-game losing streak after losing at home to No. 13 Michigan State 65-63 on Tuesday.
In the loss, the Terrapins had three players in double digits, led by guard Eric Ayala with 15 points. Donta Scott had 14 points while Dalon Russell added 10.
The Buckeyes are also coming off of a loss as they dropped a tough one to No. 4 Purdue last Sunday 81-78. After their game with Iowa was postponed this week, the Buckeyes have had an entire week to prepare for the Terrapins.
In the loss to Purdue, both E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham were electric. They combined for 40 points, ten rebounds, and four assists.
The Buckeyes are heavy favorites playing at home Sunday. They are -450 to win while the Terrapins’ moneyline sits at +340. The spread features Maryland +9 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 138.
More Odds
Ohio State currently has the 15th-best odds of winning the National Championship this season at +5000. The Terrapins are +50000 to win it all.
By The Numbers
The Buckeyes have the stronger of the two offenses. They rank 56th in the nation in scoring averaging 75.3 points per game (78.7 at home). Maryland ranks 174th as they are averaging 69.8 points per game.
On the defensive side, it is again Ohio State with the edge. They rank 133rd in scoring defense, allowing opponents 68 points per game (63.7 at home). Maryland ranks 154th as they are allowing 68.8 points per game (74.6 on the road).
Maryland Looking For Road Upset
At 11-11 overall and 3-8 in the Big Ten, this has been a tough season for interim head coach Danny Manning. Still, the Terrapins will look to pull off a major road upset in the conference Sunday if they can knock off the ranked Buckeyes.
Leading the team’s offense is senior guard Eric Ayala. This season, he is averaging 15.7 points despite shooting just 39.2% from the field. He is also adding 4.7 rebounds and two assists per game.
Aside from Ayala, the other major contributors include Fatts Russell (12.9 points, four rebounds, 3.6 assists), Donta Scott (12.3 points, 6.3 rebounds), Hakim Hart (9.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals), and Qudus Wahab (8.6 points, 6.3 rebounds).
Buckeyes Look To Extend Home Winning Streak
While the Ohio State Buckeyes have struggled a bit on the road (3-4), they have been unbeatable to this point as they are 9-0 at the Value City Arena. On Sunday, they will look to extend that unbeaten streak and pick up another crucial conference win.
Junior forward E.J. Liddell has been one of the best in the country this season. He is averaging 19.7 points on 51.5% shooting. On top of his scoring, he is also adding 7.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game.
The only other player averaging double digits for the Buckeyes is guard Malaki Branham. In 18 games, he is averaging 10.6 points to go along with 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
Zed Key (9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds) and Kyle Young (8.9 points, 5.2 rebounds) have also been productive this season.
Take Ohio State To Win And Cover
This deep into the season, rest can be critical for teams as March Madness approaches. With a week between games, the Buckeyes have gotten their rest at the perfect time.
Even on a regular schedule, the Terrapins would have a tough time keeping up with E.J. Liddell and the Buckeyes’ offense. Given the rest Ohio State has had, it may be darn near impossible.
Maryland comes into this one having lost four of their last six, and it is tough to see a route to victory in this one for the Terrapins, especially playing on the road. Take Ohio State to both win this one and to cover the nine-point spread.
