— Sunday, February 06th Maryland Terrapins @ Ohio State Buckeyes
The No. 16 Ohio State Buckeyes (13-5, 6-3) return to action on Sunday as they host the Maryland Terrapins (11-11, 3-8). Ohio State has an undefeated record at home and sit just outside the top of the Big Ten standings while having two games postponed in the last two weeks. Sunday’s tipoff at Value City Arena in Columbus is set for 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
Last year these teams met just once, with Ohio State winning on the road 73-65. Maryland last won in Columbus in 2019, their third straight win at Value City. The all-time series is tied 8-8, with Maryland leading 7-5 since joining the Big Ten in 2013-14.
Terps Trying to Get Over the Hump
The Terps are 9-13 ATS, and the under is 12-9-1 in their 22 games this season. They lost against Michigan State at home but did get a cover, losing by two. They are 2-3 in true road games this season, losing at Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan while winning at Northwestern and Rutgers.
Maryland’s offense is 217th in the nation in scoring at 69.8 ppg, and they are in the bottom 70 in the country shooting 42.6% from the field and 31% from 3-point range. The defense ranks 182nd, allowing 69 ppg, and they don’t defend the perimeter well, allowing 35% 3-point shooting.
In the 65-63 loss to Michigan State, the Terps shot just 4-of-17 from deep and 43% from the field. Eric Ayala led the way with 15 points, while Donta Scott had 14 points. The duo shot just 1-of-11 from deep while Fatts Russell hit a pair of 3’s to finish with 10 points.
Ayala leads the team with 15.7 ppg, and Russell is right behind him at 12.8 ppg. Donta Scott is at 12.3 ppg and leads the team with 6.3 rpg. Ayala has made 55 3-pointers and shoots 35% from beyond the arc, while Russell has handed out 3.6 apg.
Liddell Leads Buckeyes
The Buckeyes are 9-9 ATS, and the over is 12-6 in their 18 games. They are 9-0 at Value City Arena with wins over Wisconsin and Duke. Their game against Iowa this week was postponed due to inclement weather, and the Buckeyes lost at Purdue last Sunday.
They rank 45th in the nation in 3-point shooting at 36.8% and 25th in overall shooting at 48%. The Buckeyes are barely top 100 in scoring at 75.3 ppg, and they are 156th defensively, allowing 68 ppg. Opponents shoot 33% from deep against OSU and 41.3% overall.
Center E.J. Liddell had 20 points in the loss at Purdue but just three rebounds. Malakai Branham also had 20 points against the Boilermakers but the other three starters combined to score just six points.
Liddell leads the Buckeyes with 19.7 ppg, 7.5 rebounds per game, and 2.7 blocks per game. Branham scores 10.6 ppg, and Zed Key averages 9.1 ppg to go with 5.5 rpg. Liddell, Branham, and Meechie Johnson Jr. all shoot better than 38% from deep, and Justin Ahrens leads the team with 33 made 3-pointers.
Betting Analysis
- Maryland Terrapins +9 (-110)
- Ohio State Buckeyes -9 (-110)
- Total Points: 140. Over -110. Under -110
The Terps are 2-2 against ranked teams this season, and they played the Spartans close on Tuesday. They aren’t a very deep team, though, and going at the Buckeyes pace will not end well for Maryland.
They’ve scored more than 70 points just once in the last six games, and the Buckeyes will be ready to go on Sunday with a national television audience.
Betting Pick: Ohio State -9 (-110)
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