9:00 p.m. ET – No.4 Ohio State (-3) at Maryland O/U: 138
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | -3 (-115) | -157 | O 138 (-110) |
| Maryland | +3 (-105) | +137 | U 138 (-110) |
The 15-4 Buckeyes travel to College Park, Maryland to take on the 10-9 Terrapins on Monday night. The fourth-ranked Buckeyes have won four in a row and have surged up to third in the Big Ten standings, most recently beating Iowa on the road 89-85 last Thursday. Maryland ranks 11th in the Big Ten standings and is heading in the wrong direction after a road loss to Penn State on Friday, 55-50.
Ohio State is led by forward E.J. Lidell who averages a team-high 15.4 points along with 6.9 rebounds per game. Maryland is led by guard Eric Ayala who averages 14.4 points per game. But the Terrapins’ most important player is guard Aaron Wiggins, who averages 12.3 points per game. Wiggins had 18 points and 11 rebounds in Maryland’s last win against Purdue last Friday and is the catalyst who makes the team go. But when he’s off, the team tends to struggle. Wiggins managed just two points against Penn State on 1-for-11 field-goal shooting. If Ohio State can keep Wiggins contained, the Maryland offense offers few additional threats to keep them in the game.
Maryland has not eclipsed 63 points in its last five games. Assuming that rate, Ohio State would have to score 75 points in this matchup to boost the total points of this contest as the 138 Over/Under total. Although Ohio State scored 89 points in its last game, it was against an Iowa team that has one of the worst perimeter defenses in the entire country. The Terrapins play at a very slow pace, averaging 65.9 offensive possessions per game, which ranks 313th in Division 1. Maryland will try to slow the pace down and make this game a rock fight, knowing that will increase its chances of pulling off the upset. While that remains unlikely, the play here is to take the Under 138 total.
