Records
Ohio State 15-4 (9-4), Maryland 10-9 (4-8)
Broadcast, TV, Game Time
Date: Monday, Feb. 8
Game Time: 9 p.m. EST
Venue: Xfinity Center, College Park, MD
Network: FS1
Here we go again with another game in the Big Ten for Ohio State that it’ll have to put its best LeBron shoes forward for. Don’t let the record fool you. Maryland is a very talented team that can beat anyone in the league, as evidenced by its win over Illinois in Champaign.
The Buckeyes have become known as road warriors, with four top fifteen wins away from Value City Arena, and it’ll need to travel well again as it heads to College Park to tussle with the Terrapins.
With each passing game, there continues to be more and more on the line for the Buckeyes. We don’t know when first-place Michigan will be out of its COVID-19 protocol, but OSU is breathing down its neck, just one game out in the conference standings.
Let’s get into how this matchup shakes out.
Next … The Ohio State game plan
Ohio State Cliffs Notes game plan
New AP Ranking just dropped 👍#Team122 #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/SPnIHSzWuO
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) February 8, 2021
Much like Ohio State, Maryland doesn’t have a traditional, true center that gets a ton of minutes. The Terps also aren’t very deep, with just seven guys averaging over 14 minutes per game. You’ll see a pace much slower than what you’ve seen from them in past years. For Ohio State, that presents some opportunities. OSU’s frontcourt (if you want to call it that), should be able to go to work in and around the lane against a smaller lineup. Also, it’s not the Chris Holtmann’s style to go up and down, but you may see a little faster pace than usual to take advantage of the depth on the bench.
Defensively, Ohio State will continue to use tough-nosed man-to-man defense and rally to help out when the ball sags in the lane. The ‘Terps aren’t a great three-point shooting team, but can bomb away if you allow. You’d rather allow mid-range jumpers and dribble drives because Maryland is not a particularly good free-throw shooting team at just 68.2 %.
NEXT … Key Players For Both Teams
Key Player For Ohio State
Obligatory E.J. Liddell appreciation post #Team122 #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/AnPk50irep
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) January 10, 2021
Forward, E.J. Liddell – Liddell should be able to go to work in this one. He doesn’t have the frontline a team like Iowa presented so he should be able to get to his spots in the lane and use his footwork and body positioning to get some buckets down low. He’ll stretch things out when needed with the mid-range and on the perimeter, but we should see a lot of touches in the paint in this one.
Key Player to Know for Maryland
Eric Ayala through contact 😤 pic.twitter.com/mtAUqP8NKu
— Terps Watch (@TerpsWatch) February 6, 2021
Guard, Eric Ayala – You are going to see a lot of Ayala. He rarely comes off the floor and for good reason. He often had the ball in his hands and is the catalyst for this team. He leads the Terps in points per game, minutes, and steals. He has the length at 6-foot, 5-inches to shoot over defenders, but the ability to get to the lane and finish. Stop him, and you have a good shot at winning the game.
NEXT … The prediction
How It’ll All Go Down
Ohio State basketball vs. Maryland: How to watch and listen to the game Monday https://t.co/8MDcwYo3cF
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) February 8, 2021
This won’t be an easy game for Ohio State. Maryland plays hard, and despite not having fans in the stands, tends to still play much better at home. It’ll be a slower-paced half-court game with both teams trading blows. Ohio State has more options to score on offense and will find a way to keep things rolling in a close one. It’ll be a dog fight though, because… well — the Big Ten.
Final Score
Ohio State 71, Maryland 65
Line
Ohio State -4.5 (Odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.)
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