The No. 24 Maryland Terrapins hit the road for their final multi-game road swing of the season as they visit the Crisler Center to tip off against the No. 6 Michigan Wolverines. Maryland is eyeing a three-game winning streaking, after most recently topping No. 12 Purdue on Tuesday, while Michigan is coming off a stunning upset at Penn State, also on Tuesday. The Wolverines have won each of the last two meetings with the Terrapins and are a 7.5-point favorite in tonight’s game with the total Sportsbook at 129 points.
- Michigan is allowing the third-fewest points per game in the nation this season. (57.8)
- The total has gone UNDER in six of Maryland’s last eight games.
- Michigan is 21-0 SU and 11-10 ATS in its last 21 home games.
Maryland vs Michigan Game Center
Wolverines Continue to Shut Teams down Defensively
Michigan was one of the last teams to take a loss this season, beginning the year 17-0 before falling 64-54 at Wisconsin. Since that loss, Michigan has gone 5-2 and most recently was beat 75-69 at lowly Penn State on Tuesday. The Wolverines haven’t lost consecutive games since the end of January, the start of February of 2017.
Putting points on the board has been a bit of an issue for Michigan as it has the 220th-ranked offense in the nation with just 70.6 points per game. It has a good balance between three-point shooting and scoring inside the arc but it ranks 121st in two-point shooting percentage at 51.8 and it hits 34.6 percent of its attempts from downtown which is the 156th-best percentage.
However, on the defensive side of the ball, it’s a totally different story as the Wolverines surrender the third-fewest points per game in the nation at 57.8 which drops to 55.9 at home. They play such a slow pace of play that their opponents only average 55.6 shots per game which is the 98th-fewest in college basketball. Additionally, their foes are only shooting 39.9 percent overall which is the 20th-best defensive percentage.
Terrapins Aiming for Back-to-Back wins over ranked foes
Maryland is coming off an impressive 70-56 home triumph over No. 12 Purdue on Tuesday and looks to carry that momentum into today’s game. That victory was the third over a ranked opponent this season and first since it earned a narrow 78-75 win over then-No. 22 Indiana in mid-January. The Terrapins haven’t won at the Crisler Center since January 2017.
The Terrapins have done a good job filling the basket this year, chipping in 73.6 points per game which drops to 67 ppg away from home. They don’t pull up from downtown that often, averaging just 20.4 three-point attempts per game ranking 254th, but they do shoot 36.6 percent from long range ranking 70th. Meanwhile, inside the arc, they have the 106th-best shooting percentage at 52.3 but that falls to 48.3 percent in road games.
Although the offense slows in road games, the defense clamps down as on the season Maryland gives up 64.6 points per game which falls to 61.2 ppg away from home, which is the fourth-fewest road ppg in the nation. It does a great job making teams work for their points as it limits its opponents to a 39.5 shooting percentage which drops to 38.3 in away games ranking second in college basketball. Lastly, it does a good job cleaning the glass, securing 40 rebounds per game which ranks 14th, while allowing its foes to grab 30 boards which are the 11th-fewest.
Should you be on the UNDER?
Two defensive-minded teams are set to tip off and Sportsbook has today’s total Sportsbook at 129 points. Both teams have gone UNDER in six of their last eight games with Michigan having an average combined score of 124.38, while Maryland’s average combined score was 126.5.
The Wolverines have a hard time scoring, but their defense is slightly better at home, while the Terrapins’ offense slows considerably on the road but their defense really steps up. I think an UNDER is in store for tonight’s game.
My take on Maryland vs Michigan
I like Maryland to cover the 7.5-point spread. I think this is going to a low-scoring game where every basket counts. The Terrapins’ defense has really performed well on the road, surrendering the fourth-fewest points per game while the Wolverines rank 220th in points for per game at 70.6 which slightly increases to 71.5 at home.
Additionally, Maryland ranks second in college basketball in opponent shooting percentage on the road and Michigan sits 124th in overall shooting percentage. Lastly, the Terrapins will have an advantage on the glass grabbing the 14th-most rebounds per game at 40 compared to the Wolverines, who rank 147th with 35.6 boards per game.
