The Ohio State Buckeyes can be considered a bubble team for the National Tournament, meaning they don’t have enough quality wins to convince the Selection Committee that they are a shoo-in into the Big Dance. A win against the No. 24 Maryland Terrapins will help Ohio State a lot, but the Terps are definitely not going to give it up that easily. The Buckeyes are +30,000 to win the national title, while the Terps are +10,000 to win it all.
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Betting Preview for the Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Maryland Terrapins College Basketball Game on February 23, 2019
Where: Xfinity Center – MD, College Park,
When: Saturday, February 23, 2019, 2:00 PM ET
Line: Ohio State Buckeyes (odds) vs. Maryland Terrapins (odds) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Ohio State Buckeyes (16-9 Overall / 6-8 Conference)
The Buckeyes have a crucial date with the Northwestern Wildcats this Wednesday before they take on Maryland, but regardless of what happens in the Northwestern game, Ohio State is going to bolster it’s waning chances for an at-large berth by beating the Terrapins on the road. Ohio State, however, failed to take own the Terps in the first meeting this season, losing to Maryland at home on Jan. 18 to the tune of a 75-61-score. In that game, Ohio State’s offense was simply atrocious, as the Buckeyes shot just 39.0 percent from the field. One silver lining for them in that loss was that they won the possession battle with 59 shots to just 43 by Maryland, thanks in large part to Ohio State out-rebounding Maryland, 33-29. The key for Ohio State is for it to find its rhythm on offense, as the Buckeyes are coming into the Wildcats game having averaged just 51.7 points over the previous three games.
Ohio State is 4-4 against the spread (ATS) in road games this season.
Betting on the Maryland Terrapins (19-7 Overall / 10-5 Conference)
The Terps missed on a chance to beat back-to-back Top 25 teams last week. After whipping No. 12 Boilermakers at home, 65-52, on Feb. 12, Maryland got subdued by No. 6 Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor last Saturday, 65-52. They have another shot at beating another ranked team this Tuesday with a road date with the No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes before traveling back home to face the Buckeyes. Maryland prides itself in a balanced game on both ends of the court. Although that didn’t manifest in the loss to Michigan, it was clear as day in the Terps’ win over the Buckeyes last month. The Terrapins shot 58.1 percent from the field in that game and went 11-for-17 from behind the arc. And they did all that despite committing a dizzying total of 19 turnovers to just 10 by Ohio State. The Terps know that they will have to cut down on their errors, but it has been a season-long quandary for them. They are turning the ball over 13.1 times per game. Maryland is sixth in the Big Ten in offensive efficiency and fourth in defensive efficiency per KenPom.
The Terrapins are 3-0 ATS in their last three home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Maryland wins, 69-62.
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