Ohio State vs. Maryland Picks, Predictions College Football Week 12: Will Injuries Hamper Buckeyes?

Check out our top college football picks for the Week 12 matchup between Ohio State and Maryland.

Henry John

Last updated: September 11, 2024 2:44 PM EDT • 5 min read

Ohio State encounters its final true road test of the season this Saturday when it travels to College Park for a matchup against Maryland. Read on for our top Ohio State-Maryland college football picks and predictions.

It was business as usual for Ohio State (5-4-1 ATS, 7-3 O/U) last week in a 42-point rout of Indiana. The Buckeyes remain perfect on the season and continue to look the part of a national title contender while entering Week 12 at No. 2 in the nation.

Things have not been going as well for Maryland (4-6 ATS, 4-6 O/U) lately. The Terrapins started the season by winning four of their first five games but are only 2-3 since. Last week saw Maryland suffer an ugly 30-0 shutout loss at Penn State.

Here are our college football picks for the Week 12 matchup between Ohio State and Maryland (odds via BetRivers, SuperBook, and FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5 star scale).

Check out our top college football picks for Week 12.

Ohio State vs. Maryland Game Info

Date: Saturday, Nov. 19, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Location: SECU Stadium, College Park, MD
Weather: 39 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation, 5-6-mph winds SW

Ohio State vs. Maryland Odds

Ohio State vs. Maryland Odds Analysis

Oddsmakers weren’t shy about declaring Ohio State a decisive road favorite right from the start. An opening spread that favored the Buckeyes by 25 points has since increased to the market consensus of OSU -27.5 as of Thursday morning.

While the spread has gotten larger throughout the week leading up to the game, the opposite is true of the total. The opening Over/Under of 65.5 has come down two full points across much of the market. Most sportsbooks are currently offering a line of 63.5 while some are even lower at 63.

Looking at the DraftKings Sportsbook betting splits for this game, it’s easy to see why the spread has moved in Ohio State’s favor. More than 70% of all ATS tickets are on the Buckeyes, as is 75% of the handle.

The outlook is slightly different for the game total where only 28% of bets correspond with the line move to the Under. However, that minority percentage has accounted for 75% of all money wagered on the total thus far.

Ohio State vs. Maryland Picks

Ohio State vs. Maryland ATS Pick

Maryland +27.5 (-108) ★★

There have been several occasions this season where Ohio State has been laying a much larger number than 27.5. Not only that, but the Buckeyes have actually covered multiple different spreads that closed in excess of 30 points, including last week against Indiana.

Considering that Maryland was just shut out on the road, it’s no wonder why so many bettors are willing to lay four touchdowns with OSU in this spot. With that said, the Terrapins are a far more talented team than what Ohio State encountered last week. The fact that this game takes place on the road could make it that much more difficult to cover such a lofty spread.

What’s more, multiple key contributors on offense for the Buckeyes come into this contest banged up. It remains to be seen whether either running back Miyan Williams or TreVeyon Henderson will be available.

Knowing that the de facto Big Ten Championship Game against Michigan is looming next week, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Ohio State play it safe with some of its injured players. If the Buckeyes’ offense is at less than full strength, it becomes that much more likely that Maryland can do enough to hang around.

Ohio State vs. Maryland O/U Pick

Over 63 (-110) ★★

Each of the seven previous meetings between these schools has come after Maryland made the move from the ACC to the Big Ten. Ohio State has had a knack for piling up points on the Terrapins regardless of how close the final margin of victory turned out to be. Incredibly, not a single one of the previous seven head-to-head encounters featured fewer than 65 combined points.

What’s more, Ohio State scored at least 49 points in each of those matchups. Four of those games saw the Buckeyes surpass the 60-point threshold by themselves! While it’s fair to question whether or not the injury-riddled OSU offense is capable of replicating this previous success, bettors must also account for what Maryland brings to the table offensively.

For as ugly as things looked last week against Penn State, this is still a Terrapins offense loaded with talent and playmakers. Provided that the offensive line can hold up in pass protection, Taulia Tagovailoa should be able to connect with Rakim Jarrett and others down the field.

Ohio State vs. Maryland Prop Pick

Ohio State team total Over 44.5 (-132) ★★★

Other sportsbooks are listing the Buckeyes’ team total prop at 45.5 so it’s hard to argue against the notion that value exists on the Over at FanDuel.

Even if multiple key contributors are ruled out for Saturday’s game, Ohio State enjoys the luxury of having plenty of depth across the roster. The receiving corps has already proven capable of getting the job done without Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Meanwhile, the running back position falls into the “next man up” category.

Ultimately, as long as QB CJ Stroud is healthy at quarterback, the Buckeyes will remain one of the most formidable offenses to stop in all college football. While Maryland’s defense has the experience, the unit is hardly a juggernaut.

Where to Bet on Ohio State vs. Maryland Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

Ohio State-Maryland picks from 11/17/2022 at 10:59 a.m. ET.

Written By:
Henry John

Henry’s passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. After getting his start penning fantasy football articles, he forrayed into the betting side of the business in early 2019. His love for sports and statistics proved to be an ideal match with the dedicated research and strategy that handicapping requires. Henry currently specializes in betting analysis and picks for college football, college basketball, and NASCAR. He counts NFL, WNBA, and NBA player props as additional leagues/markets of interest. Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. A native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, he and his pup, Harold, have since relocated to Laramie, Wyoming. Thanks to his professional goals within the sports betting industry, there has been a whole lot of steam on the odds for a move to Las Vegas in 2023! Most of Henry’s free time is spent on outdoor adventures, playing chess, snowboarding, or reading a good book. He is also a competitive powerlifter and aspires to qualify for the USAPL Nationals meet within the next 2-3 years.