Loyola-Chicago vs Ohio State Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds, Picks & Predictions

Ohio State’s odds to win the national championship have fallen to +15000 and Loyola has the same odds.

Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and March Madness Odds for Loyola-Chicago vs Ohio State. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider.

Ohio native Norris Raring to Go for Loyola-Chicago

It doesn’t take much to get motivated for the NCAA Tournament but Loyola-Chicago junior guard Braden Norris will have even more incentive for Friday’s tournament opener.

Norris hails from Hilliard, Ohio, and is the only Ohio native on the Loyola roster as the Ramblers prepare to face the Buckeyes.

Norris had a slow start to the season offensively, scoring in double figures just three times in the first 13 contests. An 18-point showing in a win over Vanderbilt was one of 13 double-digit scoring performances in his last 23 games. Norris had 29 points in the Ramblers’ final two games in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament to help Loyola return to the NCAA Tournament. He was 7 of 13 from 3-point range in the conference tournament to take some of the pressure off of leading scorer Lucas Williamson, who was having a quiet tournament until he scored 18 points in the championship game win over Drake.

Five of Loyola-Chicago’s last six games went under the Las Vegas odds total.

Injury Concerns Mounting for Ohio State

It is tough enough preparing to play a team that upset one of the Big Ten’s top title contenders in last season’s tournament. And with the questionable status of four players who average more than 10 minutes per game, there is even more cause for concern for Ohio State and it is impacting the Buckeyes’ March Madness odds.

Third-leading scorer Kyle Young, who is also the third-leading rebounder, is questionable due to an illness. An ankle injury has left fourth-leading scorer and No. 2 rebounder Zed Key questionable as well.

Justice Sueing hasn’t played since November, depriving the Buckeyes of a player who scored in double figures in the previous three seasons, while Meechi Johnson has missed time recently with an ankle injury.

Holtmann said Ohio State’s injuries remain day-by-day. Like last night, he said he isn’t sure if Kyle Young or Zed Key would be able to play if the #Buckeyes were in the First Four games.

— Patrick Murphy (@_Pat_Murphy) March 14, 2022

Add this to the fact that Seth Towns, who was expected to have a more expanded role after playing just 11 minutes per game last season after transferring from Harvard, hasn’t played at all. This is going to be one interesting opening matchup for the Buckeyes, who have struggled at times to support the dynamic E.J. Liddell, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder.

Ohio State is 1-4 in its last five games and failed to cover against the college basketball spreads in each of those four losses.

Loyola-Chicago vs Ohio State Head-to-Head

The last time the two teams met came in 2006 when Ohio State rolled to a 12-point win and barely covered as an 11½-point favorite. The other three games in the series came in 1955, 1960 and 1961, so the information from those wins by the Buckeyes won’t help those who bet online and are looking for trends in the series.

Ohio State won tournament games in 2010 and 2013 against No. 10 seeds. The last time Loyola faced a No. 7 seed, the Ramblers won 69-68 in 2018 as a 1½-point underdog against Nevada.

Loyola-Chicago vs Ohio State Game Information

• Game: Loyola-Chicago (25-7) vs. Ohio State (19-11)
• Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh
• Day/Time: Friday, 12:15 p.m. ET
• Streaming: TBS.com

Loyola-Chicago vs Ohio State Betting Lines

Loyola-Chicago vs Ohio State Prediction

It is always nerve-wracking when a team from a Power-5 conference faces a mid-major team from the same geographic region. Players can come into the game with an extra bounce in their step trying to prove to the Power-5 team that they are good enough to play there. That makes this a very dangerous game for Ohio State, which  isn’t exactly heading into the tournament bursting with confidence.

Loyola is one of the best shooting teams in the country, ranking in the top 10 in both 3-point percentage and overall field goal percentage. Ohio State isn’t far behind, ranking in the top 50 in both categories as well as in free-throw accuracy.

Keep an eye on the injury updates within the Ohio State program because if any of those ailing players aren’t able to go, it obviously changes the complexion of this game.

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