Overview
Loyola, which won the Missouri Valley Conference, is back in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. The Ramblers, who reached the Sweet 16 last year, is 38-88 all-time versus members of the Big Ten Conference. Loyola upset top-seed Illinois in the second round last season, while the Ramblers lost to Michigan in the Final Four in 2018. This year’s team came close to upsetting Michigan State on a neutral floor but would suffer a two-point loss.
Ohio State is a hard time to figure out. Sports betting guides show that while the Buckeyes scored an upset victory over Duke in the non-conference slate, Ohio State didn’t close the season with a lot of confidence. The Buckeyes suffered a home loss to Nebraska and dropped four of their final five games.
Betting on March Madness shows games between No. 7 and 10 seeds. Ten seeds have a 57-87 record against No. 7 seeds since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1985.
Last games records
Loyola beat Drake 64-58 on March 18 in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Ramblers are 24-9. Ohio State lost to Penn State 71-68 on March 10 in the Big Ten Tournament. The Buckeyes are 19-11.
Matchup Information
Loyola Chicago at Ohio State Betting Analysis
Loyola Ramblers Betting Analysis
Defensive acumen never seems to graduate for Loyola. The Ramblers allow their opponents to score 61.7 points per game, which ranks 18th nationally. Over its past eight NCAA Tournament games, Loyola has allowed its opponents to score 63.3 points per game and limited its opponents to 29.6 percent shooting from the 3-point line.
The Ramblers are led by guard Lucas Williamson who averages 14.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Braden Norris also averages 10.2 points per game. Loyola wins its games by an average margin of 12.1 points per game.
The Ramblers have strong outside shooting. Loyola knocks down 8.9 3-pointers per game and are shooting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc. The Ramblers also shoot 48.3 percent from the field.
Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Analysis
Ohio State was looking like a team that could be destined for a higher seed entering the final month of the tournament. Then the wheels came off for the Buckeyes. Ohio State can sometimes have a hard time defending opponents on the outside. The Buckeyes allow their opponents to shoot 34.1 percent from the 3-point line, which ranks 216th nationally.
Ohio State is led by E.J. Liddell, who is player of the year material. Liddell averages 19.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game for the Buckeyes. Ohio State doesn’t have much scoring depth behind Liddell. Malaki Branham is the Buckeyes’ No. 2 scoring threat, averaging 13.3 points per game.
Ohio State shoots 47.4 percent from the field, which ranks 32nd nationally. The Buckeyes also rank 35th nationally in 3-point shooting, making 37.3 percent of their shots from beyond the arc. Ohio State also blocks 4.8 shots per game.
Updates
Ohio State forward Kyle Young is questionable with an ankle injury. Buckeyes forward Zed Key and guard Meechie Johnson Jr. are also questionable. Loyola doesn’t have any injuries of notes.
- Loyola is 12-15-4 against the spread.
- Ohio State is 15-15 against the spread.
- The total has gone under in 17 of the Cyclones’ 32 games.
- The total has gone over in 17 of the Buckeyes’ 29 games.
- Loyola is 3-4 against the spread following a loss.
- Ohio State is 6-3 against the spread following a loss.
Loyola Chicago at Ohio State Betting Preview
March Madness betting odds have Ohio State as a 5-point favorite. The Buckeyes and Ramblers are both -109 against the moneyline. Anyone looking to place March Madness bets on the total can try their luck against an over/under that is set at 132.5 points.
Loyola Chicago at Ohio State Prediction
Betting guides don’t make this game an easy one to predict. Loyola plays a suffocating level of defense and showed against Michigan State earlier in the year they are capable of making teams from Power 5 conference sweat. The Ramblers also have experience in the recent history of playing well in the underdog role in March.
Ohio State, which was upset in the tournament by Oral Roberts in the NCAA Tournament last year, struggled down the stretch. While Liddell has been excellent, the Buckeyes don’t have a lot of depth behind them on offense.
Bet on Loyola +0.5.
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