The No. 22 Ohio State Buckeyes face the Maryland Terrapins in a crucial Big Ten matchup on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET. The Buckeyes enter with momentum after defeating #15 Illinois, led by freshman Malaki Branham's 31-point performance and EJ Liddell's 21 points.

Current Form

• Ohio State: Coming off major win vs #15 Illinois
• Maryland: Won 2 of last 3 games but lost most recently to Indiana 74-64

Game Analysis

• Expected spread: Ohio State favored by 8-10 points
• Ohio State ranks 4th in Big Ten vs Maryland's 12th place standing
• Buckeyes have superior offensive capabilities
• EJ Liddell's performance will be crucial for Ohio State's success

Tournament Implications

• Ohio State currently projected as 4-seed in NCAA Tournament (per Joe Lunardi)
• Strong finish needed to improve seeding
• Maryland needs deep Big Ten Tournament run for NCAA consideration

Remaining Schedule Ohio State (4 games left):

• at Maryland
• vs Nebraska
• vs Michigan State
• vs Michigan

Maryland (3 games left):

• vs Ohio State
• vs Minnesota
• at Michigan State

Prediction: Ohio State wins but may struggle to cover large road spread. EJ Liddell's performance will be the key factor in determining margin of victory.

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