Ohio State vs Maryland Picks & Odds: Buckeyes Visit Slumping Terps as Big Chalk

The Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0 SU, 5-4-1 ATS) will try to solidify their grasp on the No. 2 spot in the CFP rankings and extend their win streak to 12 games when they visit the Maryland Terrapins (6-4, 4-6) on Saturday in Week 12 college football action.

The Buckeyes, who remained undefeated this season with last weekend’s 56-14 rout of the visiting Indiana Hoosiers, have also claimed victory by double-digit margins while going 3-0 on the road this season. The Terrapins return home looking for answers after being outclassed 30-0 at Penn State and have scored just 10 points during their two-game losing streak.

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Ohio State vs Maryland Sportsbook Odds

The Buckeyes have improved slightly to 27.5-point road favorites since Sportsbook at -27. The total has also been on the rise, climbing to 65 since Sportsbook at 64.

Saturday afternoon’s matchup marks the eighth meeting between these Big Ten Conference rivals since 2014. Ohio State has dominated, winning all eight, and has outscored the Terrapins 139-31 in their past two dates. Overall, the Buckeyes have averaged an impressive 52 points per game during their 8-0 run vs Maryland and have limited the Terrapins to fewer than 17 points in four of their past five matchups.

Accordingly, the Buckeyes have gone 6-2 against the spread over that stretch, while the OVER is on an 8-0 run. However, neither team has enjoyed steady success at the sportsbooks of late. The Terrapins have failed to cover during a 2-3 SU run and Ohio State is winless ATS in its past two road outings.

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High-Flying Buckeyes Battling Injury Bug

The Buckeyes encountered little resistance in last week’s crushing win over Indiana. While the attack tallied four touchdowns in both the first and second halves, the defense slammed the door on Indiana, limiting the Hoosiers to just 269 yards of total offense and 11 first downs on the day.

Held out of the end zone for the first time this season in a surprisingly challenging 21-7 win over Northwestern in Week 10, quarterback CJ Stroud rebounded in a big way against Indiana, throwing for 297 yards and connecting on five scoring passes for the third time this season. Overall, Stroud has now racked up 34 TD passes, but he has found the end zone just once over his past two road outings.

Last weekend’s win also proved to be another big outing for running back Miyan Williams. The talented junior compiled 147 yards, and with his 48-yard scoring run in the second quarter, he has now reached the end zone 12 times during a six-game scoring streak. However, Williams is one of several Buckeyes nursing injuries this week after suffering a leg injury in last week’s win, and is listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest.

Terrapins Offense Falls Flat During Slide

Generating offense has suddenly emerged as a major concern for the Terrapins, as they seek to avoid losing three in a row for the first time this season. Maryland averaged over 40 points per game during a 3-0 start, but the team has seen its production steadily taper off in conference play.

Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa has particularly struggled during the team’s current two-game slide. Tua’s little brother has connected on just 46.7 percent of pass attempts and found the end zone once over the Terrapins’ two recent losses. That marks a dramatic change in fortune after the junior pivot completed 72.4 percent of attempts and threw for 13 scores over his first seven outings of the season.

With the passing game struggling, the Terrapins need freshman rusher Roman Hemby to rediscover his impressive early-season form. Hemby enjoyed breakout performances during the team’s recent two-game win streak, averaging 143 rushing yards and running for four total scores in victories over Indiana and Northwestern, but he has seen his production tail off, with no scores in the past two games.

Ohio State: Keys To Victory

Now positioned to return to the College Football Playoff for the third time in four years, the Buckeyes must avoid looking past the slumping Terrapins to next week’s showdown with the Michigan Wolverines. That means once again following their typical game plan of overwhelming opponents with the type of offensive onslaught that has earned them double-digit first-half leads in seven of nine outings. Establishing an early lead could also provide this team a chance to give their lengthy list of injured players a much-needed rest before next week’s home date with Michigan.

Maryland: Keys To Victory

While a spark from the Terrapins offense would be most certainly welcome right now, any chance of Maryland keeping pace with the Buckeyes will likely be created by the defense. Despite their recent woes, the Terrapins have surrendered just two touchdown passes over their past three games. And if injured rusher Miyan Williams is unable to go, the Maryland defense can help its cause by maintaining constant pressure on CJ Stroud.

College Football Computer Pick: Ohio State -27

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