Updated Ohio State vs. Loyola Odds, Spread, Pick & Predictions for 2022 NCAA Tournament

by BettingPros Staff |
Mar 13, 2022

Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Loyola Ramblers 2022 NCAA Tournament Game Preview

Check Out the Best 2022 March Madness Sportsbook Offers for the Game >>

Use our Bracket Optimizer to create the perfect bracket! >>

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.

Check out all of our 2022 March Madness Coverage >>

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 aren't 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 don't necessarily follow. In their 78-70 loss to Nebraska, Liddell tallied 27 points with 14 rebounds and six blocks, yet OSU still couldn't 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

Itâ€™s yet another year where the analytics love Loyola-Chicago and the seedings don't. Drew Valentine's Ramblers may not be as great as Porter Moser's 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 aren't 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 Loyola's 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 isn't anything flashy or surprising about this team that will make it difficult to prepare for. Loyola is competitive, but I don't think they will have the magic they've 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 doesn't bode well for NCAA Tournament play. The Buckeyes have an elite offense but the defense hasn't 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

Win prizes playing our free March Madness Bracket Contest >>

Navigate