— Sunday, February 27th Ohio State Buckeyes @ Maryland Terrapins
After a big road win at Illinois this week, the No. 22 Ohio State Buckeyes (18-7, 11-5) are in position for a double-bye in the Big Ten tournament and could still end as the No. 1 seed. Their last regular-season road game comes Sunday with a trip to the Maryland Terrapins (13-15, 5-12), who are looking to play spoiler. Tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m. ET at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland, and the contest airs on CBS.
The Buckeyes throttled the Terps 82-67 less than a month ago in Columbus. They have won three straight in the series, including an 8-point win last year in Maryland. The Terps are 6-4 in the last ten games in this series but have covered in just four of those games.
Branham Comes up Big for Buckeyes
The Buckeyes covered as an underdog at Illinois and are now 14-11 ATS, and the over is 15-10 in their 25 games. They are 6-6 away from home this season with a 5-5 record in true road games. Ohio State will finish the regular season with a three-game homestand against Nebraska, Michigan State, and Michigan.
They rank 31st in the nation in 3-point shooting at 37.4% and 26th in overall shooting at 48%. The Buckeyes are 102nd in scoring at 74.2 ppg and rank 112th defensively, allowing 66.8 ppg. They allow 32% shooting from 3-point range, ranking 107th, but they are 55th in overall FG% defense at 40.9%.
In the win at Illinois, Malakai Branham scored 31 points on 10-of-14 shooting to carry the Buckeyes. The freshman has scored 80 points in the last three games, making 28-of-40 shots from the field and 21-of-23 from the free-throw line.
Center E.J. Liddell had 21 against Illinois and has scored in double figures in every game this season. He leads the Buckeyes with 19.6 ppg and 7.5 rpg while also blocking 2.5 shots per contest. Branham averages 12.8 ppg while Zed Key is at 8.6, and Justin Ahrens leads the team with 40 3-pointers made.
In the February 6 meeting, Liddell dominated Maryland with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Key had 14 points while Ahrens hit four of the Buckeyes’ 11 3-pointers. Ohio State shot 51% in the win, held Maryland to 39%, and won both the turnover and rebounding battles.
Terps Struggling to Score
The Terps are 12-16 ATS, and the under is 14-13-1 in their 28 games. They are just 8-8 at home, including a 1-3 record in the last four games. They are 2-4 against ranked teams this season, 1-3 at home with a win over Illinois in January.
Maryland has scored more than 70 points just once in the last four games, and that came at last-place Nebraska. They likely need to win out to avoid the first-round play in games at the Big Ten Tournament. They will host Minnesota and play at Michigan State next weekend.
Fatts Russell leads the team in scoring at 14.4 ppg, just ahead of Eric Ayala at 14.1 ppg. Donta Scott averages 12.6 ppg and has a team-best 6.1 rpg. Ayala leads the team in 3-pointers made (62), while Russell leads the team at 3.6 apg.
Maryland made ten 3-pointers against Ohio State in the first game, but the defense struggled, allowing 82 points. Scott led the way with 25 points, and Russell had 12, but Ayala was held to eight points on 2-of-9 shooting.
Betting Analysis
- Ohio State Buckeyes -4 (-110)
- Maryland Terrapins +4 (-110)
- Total Points 142.5. Over -110. Under -110
Getting Branham going to team with Liddell has given the Buckeyes a great chance at a top-4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They have scored 80 or more points in two straight games while making 50% of their shots. Maryland can’t score at that pace, and their only hope is to slow the game down, easier said than done against the Buckeyes.
Betting Pick: Ohio State -4 (-110)
For more NCAAB betting picks and previews, check out our picks page.