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Two undefeated teams face off as Maryland visits Ohio State. It is time to continue our College Football odds series with a Maryland-Ohio State prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Maryland enters the game at 5-0 on the season. They have been dominant on offense this year, scoring 31 or more points in every game this season. They started the slate easy, with wins over Towson and Charlotte, but then they dismantled Virginia before opening Big Ten play. Maryland has made a strong opening statement in the conference. They started with a 31-9 win over Michigan State and followed that up with a 44-17 victory over Indiana.
Meanwhile, Ohio State is 4-0 on the year. First, it was a conference win over Indiana 23-3. After that, it was a 35-7 win over Youngstown State. The offense finally woke up the next week, taking out Western Kentucky 63-10. Finally, it was Notre Dame. The offense was not stellar, but it was enough to get the win. They took out Notre Dame 17-14. In the tight race in the Big Ten East, the winner of this game will be in a good position. Both teams still have to face Penn State and Michigan, and a loss here could end hopes of winning a conference title.
Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Maryland-Ohio State Odds
Maryland: +19.5 (-105)
Ohio State: -19.5 (-115)
Over: 57.5 (-105)
Under: 57.5 (-115)
How to Watch Maryland vs. Ohio State Week 6
TV: FOX
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
Time: 12:00 PM ET/ 9:00 AM PT
Why Maryland Will Cover The Spread
For Maryland, everything hinges on Taulia Tagovailoa. This year he has been stellar. Tagovailoa is 112-171 passing for 1.473 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has made nine big-time throws according to PFF and protected the ball well. This year, he has just three interceptions and only five turnover-worthy passes. Two of the interceptions and two of the turnover-worthy passes came in one game against Charlotte. He has also done well with pressure this year. Tagovailoa has been sacked just twice, giving him a 4.3 percent sack rate when pressured on the year.
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Tagovailoa is also going it on the ground. He has 95 yards on the ground this year between scrambles and designed runs but has scored three times. The Maryland running game has been solid this year. Roman Hemby leads the way with 305 yards and four scores on the ground. He has caused 15 missed tackles and has averaged 3.67 yards after contact per run this year. Meanwhile, Colby McDonald has added 204 yards this year and two scores. He is averaging 7.8 yards per carry this year.
Maryland also has a great group of receivers this year. They have two guys over 300 yards already and another two over 200. Jeshan Jones has 329 yards this year and two scores while bringing in 20 of 28 targets. Meanwhile, Tai Felton and Kaden Prather both have three touchdowns receiving this year.
Still, Maryland is going to need to have a good pass rush in this game to stop Ohio State. This year they have just 14 sacks in five games this year. Quashon Fuller has two of those sacks with 13 pressures this year. Maryland has been good in coverage this year. They have allowed just five touchdowns while allowing an NFL quarterback rating of just 69.7 in pass coverage. They have eight pass breakups and eight interceptions this year. Donnell Brown leads the way. He has allowed just two receptions this year but has two picks and a pass breakup this year.
Why Ohio State Will Cover The Spread
Kyle McCord leads this offense for Ohio State. This year, he has not been amazing, but solid enough. On the season he is 74-115 passing for 1.055 yards. He has six passing touchdowns this year, and seven big-time throws according to PFF. He has also thrown just one interception this year but does have five turnover-worthy passes this year.
The star-receiving core is also starting to hit. Marvin Harrison Jr. has 336 yards and three scores this year. Still, he has brought in just 17 of 32 targets this year. Emeka Egbuka has 263 yards and three scores this year while bringing in 19 of 26 targets. Finally, Cade Stover has brought in 17 of 22 targets for 240 yards this year.
Meanwhile, TreVeyon Henderson has been solid this year. He has 295 yards rushing with five touchdowns. He is averaging 6.7 yards per carry, with nearly three yards before first contact this year. Chip Trayanum also has 146 yards this year and two scores.
The defense for Ohio State has been great this year. They have an over 75 percent success rate in run defense while Tyleik Williams leads the way. He has 11 stops for offensive failures with an average depth of tackle just 2.6 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Still, Ohio State needs to come away with more turnovers. They have just one forced fumble this year, while they have just three interceptions. They have also allowed too much after the catch in the receiving game. Over half of the passing yards against them are after the catch this year. Still, they have allowed just two passing touchdowns.
Final Maryland-Ohio State Prediction & Pick
There is a comparison game between these two. Ohio State did not cover against Indiana and won just 23-3. Maryland did cover and won 44-17. Maryland does not have the best defense, but it is not bad and can cause turnovers. Ohio State has struggled on offense at times this year. The big performance for Ohio State was against Western Kentucky. Maryland is much better. There will be plenty of points in this game, with Maryland getting the cover.
Final Maryland-Ohio State Prediction & Pick: Maryland +19.5 (-105)
