Ohio State Buckeyes vs Maryland Terrapins Prediction & Match Preview - February 8th, 2021 | NCAA Men's Basketball
The No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (15-4, 9-4 Big 10) are set to take on the Maryland Terrapins (4-8, 10-9 Big 10) in an NCAA men's basketball fixture on Monday.
Ohio State Buckeyes keep climbing up the AP's Top 25 poll after knocking off No. 8 Iowa in their recent 89-85 win. The team has now won 4 straight against teams in their conference and 6 straight in total. They currently sit below Illinois at No. 3 in Big 10 standings.
The Maryland Terrapins enter this Big 10 matchup on the back of their 55-50 loss to Penn State. The team has lost three out of their last five and will need answers when they face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday.
Match Details
Fixture: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Maryland Terrapins - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Sunday February 8th, 2021, 9:00 PM ET
Venue: Xfinity Center - College Park, Maryland,
Ohio State Buckeyes Preview
The Ohio State Buckeyes are looking to extend their win streak to 7, and are facing a Maryland Terrapins team that is at the bottom of the barrel in the Big 10 conference standings.
Coach Chris Holtmann's team has proven all season that they are the nation's best, as they surge up AP's Top 25 poll. The team's last win over Iowa was a major statement and established how far this team can go as the season progresses.
The Ohio State Buckeyes applied the pressure late in the game when they held the nation's No. 8 team to just one field goal over the final 4:16 in the second half.
The team has focused on defense all season, and it showed on the night against No. 8 Iowa. The Ohio State Buckeyes will now look to turn things up a notch when they head out on the road to face Maryland in their Big 10 matchup.
Key Player - EJ Liddell
EJ Liddell got things going for Ohio State in the game against Iowa. The senior guard scored 16 points and grabbed 7 boards on 41.7% shooting. He was the teams leading scorer and helped the Ohio State Buckeyes really get things going on the offensive end.
Expect the 6"7 forward to have a big game against Maryland with his aggressiveness in the paint. Liddell continues to lead the team in points and rebounds this season, averaging 15.4 points per game with 6.9 rebounds.
Ohio State Buckeyes Predicted Line-up
F Kyle Young, F Justice Sueing, F E.J Liddell, G Jimmy Sotos, G Duane Washington Jr.
Maryland Terrapins Preview
The Maryland Terrapins' recent loss to Penn State has put this team in another hole. Coach Mark Turgeon's team is No. 11 in Big 10 standings and will need to come up big against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
What looked to be a promising season, as the Maryland Terrapins won their first 4 straight, has now become a disappointing one. The Penn State game was close, but the team was bullied around all night in their loss.
The Maryland Terrapins were bottled up into Penn State's defensive schemes late in the game, forcing the team to miss their last 10 field goal attempts.
The Terrapins also needed to rely on their final 6 points from the free-throw line to stay in the game but fell short in the end.
Key Player - Eric Ayala
The junior guard lead his team with 23 points against Penn State and tried to get his team the win when he sank two foul shots with 34 seconds to go. The shifty point guard is the only hope for the Maryland Terrapins team that has suffered all season.
Ayala leads his team in points scored, and is averaging 14.4 points for the season. He will look to go face Ohio State's Duane Washington Jr. in the Big 10 guard matchup.
Maryland Terrapins Predicted Line-up
F Galin Smith, F Donta Scott, G Eric Ayala, G Aaron Wiggins, G Darryl Morsell
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Maryland Terrapins Prediction
This game will most likely end up with the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes getting the best of the Maryland Terrapins, who pose no threat up front and will need to change that when they face a dominant EJ Liddell in the paint.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have won all of their last games against Big 10 teams and will look to do the same when they play the Maryland Terrapins, Monday.
Where to watch Ohio State vs Maryland
The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports One.