Updated Ohio State vs. Loyola Odds, Spread, Pick & Predictions for 2022 NCAA Tournament
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Loyola Ramblers 2022 NCAA Tournament Game Preview
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- Ohio State Buckeyes Spread: +1
- Loyola Ramblers Spread: -1
- Ohio State Buckeyes Moneyline: +100
- Loyola Ramblers Moneyline: -120
- Game Over/Under: 133.5
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Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Loyola Ramblers Match Up Overview
Loyola | Ohio State | |
Conference | MVC | Big Ten |
W-L | 25-7 | 19-11 |
AdjEM | 24th | 32nd |
AdjO | 42nd | 13th |
AdjD | 22nd | 131st |
Tempo | 307th | 287th |
eFG% | 7th | 22nd |
TO% | 176th | 60th |
OR% | 278th | 153rd |
FTR | 125th | 82rd |
DeFG% | 48th | 82nd |
DTO% | 87th | 331st |
DR% | 37th | 206th |
DFTR | 125th | 154th |
Luck | 143rd | 207th |
Stats via KenPom.
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Ohio State Buckeyes Preview
The Buckeyes have had a pretty crazy season, highlighted by wins over Duke and Illinois, lowlighted by their COVID-19 pause, and losses to Nebraska and Penn State. Ohio State finished the year going 1-3, so they arenât exactly the hottest team coming into the tournament.
E.J. Lidell leads this team in every sense. The problem is that even when he goes off, the Buckeyes donât necessarily follow. In their 78-70 loss to Nebraska, Liddell tallied 27 points with 14 rebounds and six blocks, yet OSU still couldnât beat the lowly Cornhuskers
Every team has a clean slate entering the tournament. If this team can restart and find their offensive groove, they have the ability to make a run. But their defense really needs to elevate if they expect to do that. Ranked 131st in the nation right now in defensive efficiency, the Buckeyes will have problems with top offenses, making it difficult to do well in the tournament. They need to force more turnovers and play better perimeter defense in order to make some tournament noise.
Loyola Ramblers Preview
Itâs yet another year where the analytics love Loyola-Chicago and the seedings donât. Drew Valentineâs Ramblers may not be as great as Porter Moserâs Ramblers were a year ago, but this team still is a dangerous mid-major.
Loyola can score inside and out, ranking in the top 25 in both 3p% and 2p%. They prefer to shoot the ball from beyond the arc, and they arenât exactly the biggest team in the nation.
This team slows down the pace and offers up a well-rounded defense that limited Auburn to 62 points and Michigan State to 63. Despite playing well in the MVC conference tournament to secure an auto-bid, I am still not confident in Loyolaâs ability to make waves in the tournament.
The Ramblers have had some close calls, barely escaping 197th-ranked Valparaiso in double overtime, struggling against Bradley, and only scoring 44 against Southern Illinois. There isnât anything flashy or surprising about this team that will make it difficult to prepare for. Loyola is competitive, but I donât think they will have the magic theyâve had in past tournaments.
Rapid Prediction for Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Loyola Ramblers
The Ohio State Buckeyes have lost four of their last five games. That doesnât bode well for NCAA Tournament play. The Buckeyes have an elite offense but the defense hasnât lived up to expectations. Ohio State is allowing teams to shoot 34% from deep and only forcing turnovers at a 15.3% rate. Meanwhile, Loyola Chicago has held opponents to 31.5% from three-point range and 46.9% from inside the arc while dominating the defensive glass and forcing turnovers at nearly a 20% rate. The Ramblers have shot 38% from three and 55.8% from inside the arc. This is a bad matchup for a struggling Ohio State team.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Loyola Ramblers Round 1 Game Pick
Loyola Chicago -1
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