A colossal clash between the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences gets our NCAA Tournament odds started. The Maryland Terrapins (21-12) face the West Virginia Mountaineers (19-14) at 12:15 p.m. ET on Thursday. March 16 on CBS. The Mountaineers are spread favorites and on the moneyline in South Region odds. The point total is set at . In this article, we break down everything you need to know before placing a bet on Maryland March Madness odds, including team matchups, key metrics, and best available odds.
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WEST VIRGINIA VS. MARYLAND BETTING ODDS
Betting the point spread is when you wager on how many points a team will win or lose by. A plus sign in front of the spread denotes the underdog, and a minus sign denotes the favorite. Betting the moneyline is simply betting on which particular team will win the game.
The betting total is the number of combined points the two teams will score. Bettors can choose to bet the over or under on how many total points will be scored in the game. To place a bet on Maryland March Madness odds, click on the odds in the table.
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Browse and search NCAAM Player Props below among West Virginia vs. Maryland odds. To place a bet, click on the odds in the table. This is a valuable tool that allows bettors to quickly compare odds and numbers when considering a prop bet. Shopping for the best prop number can be the difference in winning and losing a bet. Betting on college basketball player props is only available in CT, DC, IA, IL, IN LA, MD, NJ, OH, WA, WV, and WY; however, CT IA, IL, and NJ do not allow you to bet player props for players on in-state teams.
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Why West Virginia Can Cover
Bob Huggins’ squad clocks in as one of the higher-rated offenses in the country, ranking 15th in adjusted offensive efficiency. They’re led on this end by the smooth shooting transfer from South Carolina, Erik Stevenson. When Stevenson’s shots are sinking, the Mountaineers are a tough team to beat. On occasions where they aren’t falling, the ‘Neers crash the offensive glass and scoop up second-chance opportunities.
Enter 6-foot-10, 285-pound transfer from Saint Louis, Jimmy Bell Sr. His massive size makes him an absolute nightmare for opponents to keep off the glass, as he sports a top-12 offensive rebounding rate in the country. While Maryland collectively does a good job limiting second-chance opportunities, they have hit a speed bump in this regard. In December, Maryland’s big man, Julian Reese, struggled with Illinois’ elite offensive rebounding ability.
Moreover, Maryland’s road struggles are well documented. In conference play, the Terps finished with an appalling 1-9 record away from the Xfinity Center, their lone win being against Minnesota. Shotquality notes that, based on shot selection, Maryland should have won three of those games.
Defensively, the Mountaineers are led by Kedrian Johnson. His wingspan and intelligence on the defensive end helped him notch the fourth-highest steal percentage in the Big 12. He’ll likely match up against Terps point guard Jahmir Young. Although one of the better point guards in the Big Ten, he coughed up turnovers in matchups against opponents with elite ball pressure. Causing pressure is something Huggins’ team prides itself on, forcing opponents into 14.6 turnovers per game (No. 41 in the nation). As a result, it has sprung some easy bucket chances for the ‘Neers. According to Haslametrics, the Mountaineers rank 54th in the country in potential quick points off breakaway steals.
As underdogs of one possesion or fewer, the Terrapins finished with a record of 1-4 ATS. Their sole win, a neutral site game against Saint Louis. In their four losses they were outscored by an average of 15.2 points per game, slightly inflated by their 35-point loss to Michigan.
Why Maryland Can Cover
Defensively, Kevin Willard‘s squad excels in slowing you down and running a half-court offense. Maryland displayed this in their home win over Illinois, when they held Brad Underwood‘s fast-paced Illini to only 66 points, eight fewer than their average. To further emphasize their ability to dictate the pace, the Terps’ average possession length on the defensive end is 19.0, the second-highest in the nation. Quite alarming, to put it lightly, for Huggins’ squad. ShotQuality notes that the Mountaineers rank No. 304 in the country in rim and three rate. This is the rate at which a team gets a shot at the rim or a three-point attempt. These are valuable shots in half-court offenses and something they simply struggle to create in the half-court.
Offensively, Maryland is led by their point guard Young (16.1 ppg). The lefty’s ability to score from the charity stripe (No. 4 in the Big Ten) looks problematic for WVU. The Mountaineers allow their opponents to score 21.6% of their points from the free-throw line. That’s good for the 44th-highest rate nationally. Their aggressiveness on defense leads them in foul trouble, as they notch 18.4 fouls per game, which ranks No. 283.
Furthermore, the Terps thrive on offense when their big, Reese, gets involved. The big lefty is dominant in pick-and-roll situations and has a nice touch when posting up in the paint. His crafty ability to score was on full display when he dropped 19 points on the 7-foot-4 Zach Edey in January. I imagine West Virginia will double him once he gets touches in the low post. If doubles ensue, Reese must find his perimeter scorers in Hakim Hart and Don Carey. Hart has struggled of late, shooting a bleak 27% in his last four games. He could very well be due for some positive variance here. For reference, WVU allowed their conference opponents to shoot a blistering 35.8% from 3-point range, the second-highest clip in the Big 12.
If you’re into trends, the Terps were 4-1 ATS at neutral sites this year.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ultimately, I give a slight edge to Huggins and the Mountaineers. They are more battle-tested, having played in the stronger Big 12. Conversely, the Terps have a path to grinding out this game and forcing West Virginia into their half-court sets. The Mountaineers can play bully ball and score second-chance points and fastbreak layups. Let’s back Huggins’s squad to open the tournament. Good luck betting on Maryland March Madness odds if you choose.
Derek’s Bet: West Virginia -2 (placed Tuesday morning at PointsBet Sportsbook).
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