Maryland vs Villanova Prediction & Picks: Will the Bounce Back ‘Cats Deal the Terps a Third Straight Loss?

It’s only the second week of the college basketball season, but it’s not too early to consider Villanova’s matchup tonight with Maryland (8:30 pm ET, FS1) a pivotal game for both teams.

After opening the season with a win over Mount St. Mary’s, the Terrapins (1-2) dropped both of their games at the Asheville Championship last week, falling 64-61 to Davidson in the semifinals and 66-63 to UAB in the third-place game.

After tonight, Maryland’s lone challenging non-conference contest is a trip to UCLA. With such a light schedule–of their 11 non-conference opponents, six are currently ranked 234th or worse at KenPom–every loss increases the amount of success required in Big Ten play to end up on the right side of the March Madness bubble.

Bet on Today’s College Basketball Games at BetDSI

Villanova (1-1) doesn’t have the same schedule-related issue. In addition to this matchup with Maryland, they have the Battle 4 Atlantis next week (where they will face Texas Tech and could face North Carolina and Michigan, Memphis, or Arkansas), travel to Kansas State, and host UCLA before jumping into Big East play.

But after suffering an upset loss to Penn on Monday, Justin Moore and the Wildcats need to bounce back tonight. After finishing 17-17 and missing the NCAA Tournament in coach Kyle Neptune’s first season, Villanova is expected to be much better this year with Moore back in action. But if they stumble too much in non-conference play, they will enter Big East play on shaky ground.

Maryland vs Villanova Odds

Odds are courtesy of Bovada.

Spread

• Maryland +6.5 (-110)
• Villanova -6.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 133 (-110)
• Under 133 (-110)

Moneyline

• Maryland +225
• Villanova -275

Maryland vs Villanova Prediction and Picks

Prediction: Villanova to win

Picks: Villanova team total over 68.5 (-120 at Bovada) & Villanova first half -3 (-115 at Bovada)

Both the Terps and Wildcats are coming off of forgettable offensive performances. In their 76-72 loss to Penn, Villanova shot only 34.9% (22 of 63) from the field overall and 27.3% (9 of 33) from three. Moore had a game-high 25 points, but he was only 4 of 11 from three and 7 of 18 from the field overall.

While that was the Wildcats’ first poor offensive showing of the season, Maryland has yet to really get going on that end.

To put their current struggles in proper context, they were 6 of 23 (26.1%) from three against UAB, and that is their best perimeter performance of the season thus far. For the season, the Terps are shooting just 22.6% (14 of 62) from three, 40.5% (66 of 163) from the field overall, and 69.7% (46 of 66) from the foul line. Ouch.

Senior guard Jahmir Young (14.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.7 steals per game), a preseason All-Big Ten selection, has dished out 13 assists in the last two games, but he needs to start hitting his shots. Through three games, he is shooting only 30.8% from three and 38.5% overall from the field.

Other than allowing Davidson to hit 8 of 15 from three, Maryland has done a decent enough job defensively to potentially have a chance tonight.

However, their offensive struggles zap any confidence in the Terps. With that in mind, I’m looking for Villanova to come out stronger and lead at the half on the way to a bounce-back win.

Where to Bet on College Basketball

If you are looking for college basketball odds, you will always be spoiled for choice. Sports betting sites all over the internet offer a vast array of NCAA basketball odds throughout the season, from the opening tip in November to the conclusion of the season in early April.

Along with being able to bet on countless games, many online sportsbooks offer men’s college basketball national championship odds, women’s college basketball national championship odds, men’s Wooden Award odds, women’s Wooden Award odds, and odds on who will win early season and conference tournaments.

Below are some of the books that we highly recommend for college basketball betting:

• BetDSI
• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• Bovada
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

Other College Basketball Content

• NCAA Basketball Best Bets for November 17
• College Basketball Betting Guide
• Men’s Wooden Award Winner Odds
• Women’s Wooden Award Winner Odds