| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | +700 | +15 (-110) | Ov 144.5 (-110) |
| Ohio State | -1125 | -15 (-110) | Un 144.5 (-110) |
Odds as of November 14th from DraftKings.
King of the Paint
The Buckeyes’ headliner, of course, is EJ Liddell. The first-team All-Big Ten and honorable mention All-American last season has been a force in the first two games this year, finishing with a career-high 29 points against Niagara after scoring 25 in the opener against Akron.
The 6-foot-7 Liddell may not be the biggest forward in the Big Ten, but the junior is extremely difficult to stop on the offensive end. He’s a great finisher, has a silky touch, and possesses an array of post moves that have already been on display early on this season.
EJ Liddell was an absolute scoring machine against Niagara, in a close game it seemed like, Liddell definitely was a difference maker. He scored 29 points and had many great looks from three. He also drove the paint with confidence, and had quite a few good feeds to Zed Key. pic.twitter.com/395VAYlNFV
— NBA Draftcast (@NBADraftcast) November 13, 2021
Liddell even started hitting 3s last season, connecting on 39.2% of his longball tries in league play. Look for the potential lottery pick to continue his hot start Monday.
Liddell isn’t the only weapon Holmann has in the paint. Kyle Young, Zed Key, Joey Bunk and Kaleb Etzler are all part of an impressive mix.
After missing OSU’s first-round upset loss to Oral Roberts with a concussion and this year’s season opener and much of the preseason due to vestibular dysfunction, Young made his season debut a little more than five minutes into Friday night’s game against Niagara.
“I’m back, boy!” – @kyle_young25 #Team123 #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/yg1FnR4Tnt
— Ohio State Hoops 🌰 (@OhioStateHoops) November 13, 2021
The captain and fan favorite scored five points and grabbed seven rebounds in 23 minutes and will continue to be eased back into the rotation. Key is a major breakout candidate if he can stay out of foul trouble.
At 245 pounds. Key had bursts where he was unstoppable on the block last season, and he’s one of the most ferocious rebounders in all of college basketball. His timing wasn’t too bad in the season opener, either.
ZED KEY FOR THE WIN! pic.twitter.com/QLyZnqjHAN
— Barstool Ohio State (@BarstoolOSU) November 10, 2021
Brunk, a 6-foot-11 transfer from Indiana, offers skilled post scoring and rebounding. He’ll compete for starts at the 5 after missing last season entirely due to a shoulder injury. Meantime, Etzler is a long stretch forward and top-150 recruit who may not log a lot of minutes but could see action Monday.
Ohio State’s frountcourt is formidable and will be fun to watch as the season unfolds.
Perimeter Power
Duane Washington is gone, but the cupboard is hardly bare in the Buckeye backcourt. Freshman Malaki Branham s the favorite to take over Washington’s starting spot.
The Columbus native is an athletic and strong guard physically ready for college ball. Meantime, Louisiana transfer Cedric Russell is a major addition to Holtmann’s roster.
The first-team All-Sun Belt performer last season shot over 40% from deep last year and ranked third in the conference in scoring.
Another candidate to take on a larger scoring role this season is Justice Sueing. He impressed last year after transferring from Cal, proving to be a capable shooter and versatile scorer.
Fellow perimeter returner Justin Ahrens will repeat his role as spot-up shooter. The senior shot 42.5% from deep last season and took 127 3s versus just seven 2s.
While the Buckeyes will be hard-pressed to be the nation’s 4th best offensive team this season — as they were on KenPom — with their loaded frontcourt and stable of guards of wings — they should be a top-20 offensive squad and overpower the Falcons.
Bowling For a Close One
After a 79-71 overtime loss to Western Carolina and 101-60 blowout win against Ohio Wesleyan, Falcons head coach Michael Huger will settle for something in the middle against the Buckeyes.
Fifth-year seniors Daeqwon Plowden and Trey Diggs are the leaders, each opting to rejoin the Falcons after a disappointing 2020-21 campaign. Plowden, a 3rd Team All-MAC performer, gets to put on his alpha pants and ascend into the Falcons’ #1 weapon.
Plowden is averaging 16 points and 9.5 rebounds in BGSU’s first two games and has the ability to play the 3, 4 or even 5. Meanwhile, Diggs is the reigning MAC 6th Man of the Year, a role he might reprise this season with the influx of transfer talent.
Like Plowden, Diggs can play several positions on the court, and he adds spacing to the offense with his 38% career from distance.
The Falcons like to play up-tempo and this should be Huger’s deepest and arguably most talented team he’s ever had at Bowling Green. But will it be enough Monday? Unlikely, but it should be enough to keep the underdogs close.
Pick: Bowling Green +15 (-110)
