College Basketball Picks & Predictions: Rutgers vs. Maryland (Sunday)
Super Bowl LIX is the big headliner, but it isn’t the only sporting event on Sunday. We have a small slate of college basketball games on the Sunday schedule as well before the Chiefs and Eagles take center stage. Let’s dive into the college hoops slate and lock in some picks. We’ll focus on Arizona State vs. Oklahoma State, Xavier vs. Villanova and Rutgers vs. Maryland.
Note that all betting lines are accurate as of this writing, but shop around for the best odds. Enjoy these college basketball picks and predictions for Sunday, February 9th’s game Rutgers vs. Maryland.
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Sunday's Best College Basketball Bets: Rutgers vs. Maryland
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Rutgers vs. Maryland
On Thursday, Maryland blew a double-digit lead on the road to fall short at Ohio State. It was a tough result for a team that led by 17 points in the first half at one point and even held a 10-point lead with seven minutes to go. Bank on the Terrapins to bounce back as they return home for this Sunday afternoon matchup vs. Rutgers.
Maryland has lost only once at home this season - against Marquette back in November. Whether the Terps can cover the big spread here is another question. They're 3-2 ATS at home in conference play but two of those were blowout wins vs. UCLA and Ohio State.
Before losing to Ohio State, Kevin Willard's squad had been rolling. The Terps were 6-1 SU in their previous seven games and are now up to 18th at KenPom and 16th in NET Rankings. Per BatTorvik's ratings, Maryland is playing like the 17th-best team in the country over the past month.
The Terrapins have also responded well after losses this season. They're 4-1 ATS after a loss so far and have another opportunity to get back on track here.
It's a good spot with Rutgers coming off a home upset over Illinois. There's real letdown potential for the Scarlet Knights despite the short road trip down I-95 today. They've had a mixed bag of results on the road this season, going 2-4 ATS with a pair of double-digit losses at Ohio State and Indiana.
The Scarlet Knights just got Dylan Harper back from injury last game, but the offense is still too reliant on him and Ace Bailey. Their supporting cast remains inconsistent and untrustworthy outside of the two stud freshmen. During conference play, Rutgers has struggled offensively. It ranks 13th and 17th, respectively, in offensive efficiency and effective field goal percentage among Big Ten teams.
Rutgers' issues scoring inside are a worry here. It's shooting a league-low 47.8% from two-point range during Big Ten games. The Knights also rank 15th in the conference in offensive blocked shot rate. Those stats are more worrisome when facing the dominant Maryland frontcourt of Derik Queen and Julian Reese. The pair of bigs can control the paint on both ends in this matchup.
Furthermore, Maryland's offense continues to play at a high level. Queen and Reese can both go for 20 points apiece in any given game, but it's the Terps' underrated guards who can make a difference. Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice present a mismatch for Rutgers' backcourt. They anchor a Terps offense shooting 36.8% from three in conference play while ranking second and third nationally in offensive block and steal rates, respectively.
Take Maryland to win big at home. Last year, the Terps beat Rutgers by 17 and 14 points in their two meetings. They’re not the same rosters, of course, but that trend can continue with Maryland claiming multiple matchup advantages - let alone the motivation to get back on track after a loss.
Pick: Maryland -9.5 (-115)