Opponent: Ohio State Buckeyes (17-9, 7-8 Big Ten)
Location: Xfinity Center, College Park, Maryland
Tipoff: 2:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, Feb. 23
Last game: No. 24 Maryland beat No. 21 Iowa 66-65, Ohio State beat Northwestern 63-49
Last matchup: Jan. 18, 2019 — Maryland 75, Ohio State 61
Odds: Maryland -6.5, per OddsShark
Kenpom prediction: Maryland 68, Ohio State 61
TV: ESPN — Jason Benetti (Play-by-play) and Dan Dakich (Analyst)
Streaming: WatchESPN
Radio: Maryland Sports Radio Network — Johnny Holliday (Play-by-play) and Chris Knoche (Analyst) — 105.7FM (Baltimore), 980AM (DC)
What to watch for Maryland: Defensive rebounding
In each of Maryland’s last two wins, the Terps have been able to win in spite of the fact they were subar on the defensive boards. Purdue picked up 17 offensive rebounds, while Iowa was similarly successful with 18 offensive boards. Based on defensive rebounding percentage, the Iowa game was Maryland’s worst of the season, with Iowa getting a rebound after 42.9 percent of its misses. Iowa even got an offensive rebound on its very last possession, but the putback went begging. Giving your opponent second and third chances is one way to allow an upset, so Maryland will need to focus on limiting the Buckeyes’ offensive rebounds.
What to watch for Ohio State: Turnovers
No one commits more turnovers on offense in Big Ten play than Ohio State, as the Buckeyes have 21.4 percent of their possessions end before they can take a shot. The Buckeyes protected the ball well in their victory over Northwestern with a 13.2 percent turnover rate, but Ohio State’s last three losses have all seen more than a fifth of their possessions end in a turnover. With an Xfinity Center crowd that will surely be rocking, Ohio State giving away possessions could make an already tough game even tougher.
