Ohio State vs Loyola Chicago Predictions and Betting Preview
Sportsmemo handicapper JM Sports gives his Ohio State vs Loyola Chicago predictions and betting preview for the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 18. At the time of posting, this game is a pick ’em between the Buckeyes and the Ramblers with the total sitting at 133 points.
Check out our College Basketball Free Picks page for betting thoughts from some of the country’s top handicappers.
Friday, March 18 | NCAA Tournament Betting Notes |
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Point Spread: | Ohio State Buckeyes (PK) vs Loyola Chicago Ramblers |
Total: | 133 Points |
Game Time: | 12:15pm ET / 9:15am PT |
Arena: | PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA |
TV: | CBS |
Ohio State vs Loyola Chicago Predictions Analysis
This is another match-up that pits a 7th seed and a 10th seed against each other in a game that is set to be a close game.
Ohio State actually opened as an underdog against 10th seed Loyola-Chicago, now the game has gone to an even line, but Ohio State still holds the advantage in seeding.
They are led by EJ Liddell who is still in the running for player of the year, yet they have two big names in Zed Key and Kyle Young, who may be inactive for the opening round game.
Both are currently listed as questionable and will be reevaluated close to game time, but with or without these players we will see if Ohio State has what it takes to take down Loyola-Chicago for a 2nd time since 1997, and prevent them from being another double digit Cinderella story as they have done more then once in the past.
Ramblers Hunker Down on Defense
Loyola Chicago may actually be a more well rounded team than the Buckeyes. They rank in the top-50 offensively and defensively, coming in ranked 43rd on the offensive side and an impressive 23rd ranking on the defensive end.
Loyola has been a top-10 team in effective shooting percentage, as well as sitting inside the top-15 from inside AND outside the arc. Defensively they rank in the top-50 in effective FG% allowed, stemming from being the 66th best team defending the 3PT shot, and 64th defending shots inside the arc.
Their defense has been their biggest asset as the season has progressed. Loyola has allowed under 62 PPG on the year, against teams that are averaging over 70 PPG against other opponents.
On the road, they have held their opponents to just over 61 PPG, but the more impressive part is the fact that they have held their opponents to just 40.1%.
Yet, their defense has gotten better as the season has progressed, they have allowed under 57 points and held their opponents to 34.4% shooting!
Not to mention that the offense has stepped up too, putting up nearly 75 PPG themselves in the last 5 games. All of this has resulted in a 25-7 record this year, including a 13-5 record on the road and walking away with a win in 4 of the previous 5 games.
Buckeyes Rely on Tripod of Players
For Ohio State, EJ Liddell, Zed Key, and Kyle Young have been 3 important names in getting Ohio State to the 19-11 record that they currently hold.
Zed Key has started 23 games, and in those games he has been the best rebounder on the team and the 2nd best shot blocker (top-200 in the nation).
Kyle Young has only started two games, but has appeared in 25 games this season, but Young is the best on the team in 2PT% and he holds the best offensive rating on the team. While the most important piece of the puzzle has been for EJ Liddle, he is by far the most utilized player on the team, and for good reason.
Liddell is the 2nd best rebounder on the team, one of the best shot blockers in the nation, on top of being one of the top-3 players on the team in 3PT%, possessing skills required by a jack-of-all-trades.
The big question, will the first two be playing, and if they are, can the 3 of them step up to take down a team that is known for being the underdog.
Ohio State has won just 1 of the last 5 games, losing back-to-back games on two separate instances in the last 5 games, which are the only 2 times the Buckeye’s have done that all year.
The Buckeyes possess the 13th most efficient offense in the nation, playing a very difficult schedule, but the depth of their roster and the utilized bench minutes have been important in playing all 40 minutes.
Yet, their defense has been in question all season. Ohio State and their offense has posted a 7-4 record against defenses that rank in the top-50 defensively, but on the other side of the court they are just 5-6 against top offensive opponents, struggling to stop high power offensive threats.
Ohio State vs Loyola Chicago Prediction
Again we found a top-tier conference opponent taking on a team that has the stats to back up their record, but have they proven themselves against difficult competition?
Loyola-Chicago has walked away this season with a win against Vanderbilt, San Francisco, and Missouri State, but two of their losses have come against the most capable of their opponents when they took on Michigan State and Auburn at the beginning of the year.
Loyola also went through their entire conference tournament without ever allowing more then 60 points to the opposition, but now it’s time for the tournament that matters and March Madness hasn’t exactly been Ohio State’s favorite situation to play in the last couple of years.
Prediction: Loyola Chicago (PK) Get all my picks on SportsMemo!
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Ohio State vs Loyola Chicago GoldSheet Preview
College Basketball Stat Sheet
GoldSheet prepares a daily college basketball stat sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Friday’s sheet, with notes on the Ohio State vs Loyola Chicago contest.
NCAAB Odds Screen
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