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Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Maryland Terrapins: Odds, College Football Betting Pick
November 12, 2018
Since becoming Big Ten rivals Ohio State is 4-0 straight up against Maryland, going 3-1 against the spread in the process. The Buckeyes shoot to make it five in a row in this series and remain in contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff when they take on the Terrapins on Saturday afternoon in College Park.
College football point spread: The Buckeyes opened as 14-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)
College football betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 42.2-25.2 Buckeyes (College football picks on every game)
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Why the Ohio State Buckeyes can cover the spread
Ohio State is 2-0 since that loss at Purdue, after beating Michigan State in East Lansing last week 26-6.
The Buckeyes drew first blood with a touchdown late in the second quarter, only led 7-6 late into the third but scored the last 19 points of the game to secure the victory and the cover as 3.5-point favorites.
On the afternoon Ohio State held a 21-12 edge in first downs, out-gained the Spartans 347-274, ground out a 37/23 advantage in time of possession and won the turnover battle 3-1, creating a plus-14 point differential.
The Buckeyes have now out-gained every opponent this season except Penn State. At 6-1 in conference play Ohio State trails Michigan by one game in the East Division, and it gets the Wolverines at the Horseshoe next week.
Why the Maryland Terrapins can cover the spread
Maryland reached 5-3 on the season a few weeks ago but now shoots to stop a two-game losing skid, after falling at Indiana last week 34-32. The Terrapins scored the first six points of the game, fell down 31-15 in the third quarter but rallied to take a 32-31 lead with five minutes to go. Unfortunately, they gave up a field goal to fall back behind, then fumbled the ball away at midfield with just over a minute to go.
On the day, Maryland racked up 542 yards of total offense, including 353 on the ground, held a 27-18 advantage in first downs and won time of possession by a lopsided 39/21 split. But the Terrapins lost the turnover battle 4-1, missed an extra point and came up empty on a two-point conversion, all of which combined to cost them 17 points.
On the season, Maryland has out-gained and out-rushed six of its 10 opponents. At 5-5 overall, the Terps need one win in their last two games to become bowl-eligible.
Smart betting pick
Ohio State won this matchup last year 62-14, covering as a 30-point favorite. This week the Buckeyes only need to win by 20 points to cover, and playing on the road means the spread isn't as severe as it could be. The smart money here bets the Buckeyes.
College football betting trends
The total has gone over in Ohio State's last four games vs Maryland.
Ohio State is 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in its last four games vs Maryland. (Avg winning margin: 39.0)
Maryland is 1-3 SU and ATS in its last four games vs its conference.
All college football odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.