Indiana kept alive its NCAA tournament hopes with a resounding victory Thursday over Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament. The Hoosiers can further bolster their bid for the upcoming March Madness if they can beat the surging Maryland Terrapins in their quarterfinal showdown later today.
Who will grab the edge in this pivotal last-eight clash? Read on below for a preview of this Big Ten matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the Big Ten quarterfinal between Wisconsin and Michigan here.
[sc:MarchMadness ]Indiana Hoosiers vs. Maryland Terrapins Betting Preview
Where: United Center, Chicago
When: Friday, March 13, 6:30 PM ET
Line: Indiana Hoosiers (+2.5) at Maryland Terrapins (-2.5) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana’s quest for a first ever conference tournament title is off to a solid start after trouncing Northwestern, 71-56, in the second round of the Big Ten tournament Thursday. Starring for the Hoosiers against the Wildcats was James Blackmon Jr. who exploded for a game-high 25 points.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]It was a stellar all-around performance for the talented freshman who also had six rebounds and seven assists. Blackmon has been superb for the Hoosiers this season, averaging 15.8 PPG and 5.3 RPG. Indiana’s leading scorer Yogi Ferrell (16.0 PPG) played a major part in the victory as well, scoring 17 points and dishing out five assists.
Apart from their offensive exploits, what really ignited the Hoosiers’ charge was their dominance on the rebounding end. The Hoosiers outrebounded the Wildcats, 42-25. The Hoosiers had a whopping 20-5 advantage on the offensive glass that resulted into a 20-3 edge for Indiana on second-chance points.
Controlling the glass will be crucial for Indiana if it is to beat Maryland tonight. In the Hoosiers’ victory against the Terrapins on January 22, they had a 37-33 rebounding advantage. That enabled Indiana to dictate the tempo of the match and cruise to an 89-70 victory.
The tables were turned in their next meeting, however, as Maryland controlled the boards this time around. The Terrapins outrebounded the Hoosiers 35-33 and that keyed Maryland’s narrow 68-66 win over Indiana on February 11.
The onus is on Troy Williams to impose his size inside the shaded area. He leads the team in rebounding this season, averaging 7.1 boards per game. He has fared extremely well against Maryland this season, averaging 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in two meetings with the Terrapins this year. He grabbed 12 rebounds and had three blocks in Indiana’s second-round win over Northwestern.
The Hoosiers are 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games.
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Betting on the Maryland Terrapins
There’s just no stopping the Maryland Terrapins.
Maryland ended its regular season on a high as it extended its winning streak to seven games with a nervy 64-61 win Sunday over Lincoln. It was the 26th victory for the Terrapins this season, setting the school record for most number of wins in a regular season.
Not bad for a team that was projected to finish 10th in the Big Ten conference this past preseason. The Terps’ 26 wins mark a nine-game improvement from their finish last season. It also matched Mark Turgeon’s record for most wins in a season in his 17-year coaching career.
That will serve them in good stead heading into their last-eight clash with the Indiana Hoosiers. Even though the Terrapins are the higher seed in this matchup, it will not be easy picking for Turgeon’s men by any means. They have split their two meetings with Indiana this season, and it could have been much worse if not for their late rally against the Hoosiers in their second encounter on February 12.
Melo Trimble and Dez Wells led the Terps in that comeback win, scoring 18 points apiece. Providing the impetus for the Terps’ victory, though, was their much improved perimeter defense. After surrendering 15 three-pointers to Indiana in their first meeting, they held the Hoosiers to just 10-of-25 shooting from long range in the second encounter.
The Terps stepped up their play on the defensive end in that game, limiting the Hoosiers to just 37.3 percent shooting from the field. That’s way down from the incredibly high 60 percent field goal shooting clip Indiana unleashed on them in their first meeting.
It’s crucial for Maryland to repeat that defensive performance if it is to beat Indiana today. The Terps are 87th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 63.1 PPG this season.
Maryland is 4-1-1 ATS in its last six games.
Writer’s Prediction
Maryland (-2.5) wins, 71-65.
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