Houston vs. Maryland Picks - Terrapins Look to Shut Down Cougars on Friday
In NCAA tournament action on Friday, the Maryland Terrapins take on the dangerous, if outmatched Houston Cougars. While Houston may score high numbers and keep things close, do they have what it takes to upset the heavily favored Terps?
- What: NCAA Basketball Betting
- When: Friday, March 19, 2010, 9:50 p.m. EST
- Where: Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, WA
- Key Stat: Houston's offense is 40th best, while Maryland's defense is 40th best.
The Storyline - Houston vs. Maryland Picks
The 4th seed Maryland Terrapins will take on the 13th seed Houston Cougars at just before 10 p.m. ET on Friday at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arenas in Spokane, WA. The game is in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, and the winner will play the winner of the 5th seed Michigan State vs. New Mexico State in the second-round of the tournament on Sunday. Maryland certainly comes in as a favorite, but many aren't counting Houston out yet. How does your March Madness bracket look?
Offensive Matchups - Houston vs. Maryland Picks
Houston's senior guard Aubrey Coleman is a serious threat - with a ball and with his feet - just ask Chase Budinger, who took a mean curbstomp at the hands of Coleman after an animated flop to the court. When he's not putting the stomp down on the opposing team literally, he does it figuratively - he's had nine thirty point games this year without a night in the single digits. He's also the man that could pose a problem for Maryland in this matchup. If the Terps can't contain Coleman, they could be in for a rough night.
As dangerous as Coleman is, Maryland have more and varied threats, however. The jumpers from Landon Milbourne as well as the serious defense put up by Eric Hayes, who will most likely negate the threat of Kelvin Lewis will probably mean more in the long run than the brute strength and numbers put up by Coleman. Indeed, Coleman may find he has a hard time dealing with the size and power of Maryland's Sean Mosley, his likely defensive matchup. Mosley could conceivably slow down Coleman by getting in his face and frustrating him - an outcome Maryland is certainly looking to achieve.
Betting Edge: MarylandDefensive Matchups - Houston vs. Maryland Picks
The Cougars excel at forcing turnovers, a facet of the game which could be integral to their success on Friday night. The defense however of Eric Hayes could negate Houston's ability. It would seemingly take a lapse on the part of Maryland for Houston to capitalize.
The aforementioned Eric Hayes might be the unsung hero of the team. A stalwart contributor and consummate professional on the court, Hayes will provide Maryland with what he always does: solid defense. As previously stated, in this matchup, look for Hayes to negate the Cougars' Kelvin Lewis. With nearly 18 points per game for Houston, Lewis having a poor performance usually spells disaster for the Cougars, especially in terms of close games.
Betting Edge: MarylandNotable Injuries - Houston vs. Maryland Picks
None at present for either team.
Betting Edge: EvenBetting Prediction - Houston vs. Maryland Picks
Generally speaking, when Houston goes down, it's largely because their opponent took advantage of their weaknesses in rebounding and defense. The numbers show that in losses, they tend to be out rebounded by a large margin, and their opponents shot a serious field goal percentage against them. Houston is a team that's hungry, and looking to regain some of their team's past glory. While Houston will come to play and keep the game competitive, expect Maryland to follow the blueprint to beat their opponent, and for Houston to ultimately fall in defeat on Friday.
Washington’s Pick: Maryland
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