Maryland Villanova Betting – Terrapins Desperately Need Quality Win
The Maryland Terrapins finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference last season. This year, they’re going to need to beat Villanova to feel better about their NCAA chances. Just as with NCAA football betting, the basketball betting gets more serious as the season goes on.
NCAA Basketball Betting: Maryland Terrapins @ Villanova Wildcats
Online Sports Betting Odds:
Why To Bet On Maryland
The biggest and best reason to bet against Maryland is also the biggest and best reason to bet on the Terrapins this Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia. Coach Gary Williams’ team hasn’t beaten a high-quality opponent yet this season. Maryland has played a fairly ambitious national schedule, taking on a lot of high-quality opponents across the country. However, the Terps have failed to deliver the goods. This means that at 11-5 and 1-2 in the ACC, this brand-name program in the world of college basketball really needs a big scalp it can show to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee. A win over Villanova on the road would dramatically transform the Terps’ NCAA Tournament dossier.
A victory this weekend would enable a .500 finish in the ACC regular season, combined with two wins in the ACC Tournament, to get Maryland into the NCAAs with a No. 10 or No. 9 seed. It is not an exaggeration to say that Maryland’s NCAA prospects could very well hinge on the outcome of this game. The Terps know how important this game is, and that’s why they’ll go all-out in the attempt to win it. As we saw with Florida State’s win over Duke on Wednesday night, teams that play mediocre ball for a few months (and lose to teams as bad as Auburn) can ratchet up the intensity and focus when they know their seasons are on the line. This is the factor that will work in Maryland’s favor.
Why To Bet On Villanova
The points raised above have to be turned in the other direction. There’s a reason why Maryland needs a win to improve its NCAA chances: The Terrapins just aren’t very good. Maryland lost to Pittsburgh, lost to Illinois, lost to Temple, lost to Duke, and lost to Boston College. Maryland, without superstar Greivis Vasquez, the Venezuelan guard who did everything for the 2009-2010 team, is a headless horseman.
There’s nobody who can take this team on his back and shepherd it through tough times against elite opposition. Maryland’s only ACC win came Wednesday night against league doormat Wake Forest. There’s just nothing to recommend Maryland against a Villanova crew that has won 10 straight games and is taking care of business against Big East Conference opponents. Cincinnati was undefeated on the season until Sunday, Jan. 9, when Villanova popped the Bearcats by 11 points. Louisville carried a No. 17 ranking into Philadelphia on Wednesday night, and coach Jay Wright’s Wildcats responded with a solid 88-74 win. Villanova is the team to be trusted, especially since it is playing this game at home.
How The Game Will Play Out
Maryland will fight hard for 35 minutes, but Villanova will play a full 40 and find the answers it needs to unearth. The Wildcats’ guards are too good for Maryland’s backcourt. The Terps might contain one of Villanova’s fine long-distance shooters, but not all of them. Take Villanova in Philadelphia.
Maryland Villanova Sportsbook Promo Betting Pick: Villanova
