Both the Indiana Hoosiers and Maryland Terrapins are hanging out on the No. 3 or No. 4 lines in the NCAA Tournament at the moment, but we still think that both have a case to make it all the way up to the last No. 1 seed if they run the table from here. They have to go through each other on Sunday in what could turn out to be a heck of a prequel to what could be an awesome Big Ten Tournament next week.
You can bet on college basketball odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
HOW THE MARYLAND TERRAPINS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Maryland has the disadvantage of having to play on Thursday night before heading out to Bloomington, whereas Indiana had to play last on Tuesday.
Truth be told, there hasn't been a lot to like about the Terps of late. Sure, they beat Michigan at home, but they played poorly on the defensive side of the court in that one against a struggling offensive team. Aside from that, since February 13, they were beaten by Wisconsin and Purdue, not to mention the unsightly loss against a Minnesota team which is just 2-14 in conference play.
We really think it would help to get Rasheed Sulaimon back into the offense. All too often, the ball is getting into Melo Trimble's hands and not leaving them, particularly late in close games. Trimble is awesome and has proven he can deliver daggers, but he needs some help from his mates.
Sulaimon is the unheralded player of the bunch, but he might be the next most important player on the team. We know that Diamond Stone and Jake Layman will do their thing in the block, but in order to free them up a bit, Sulaimon has to be a threat from the outside, particularly against a team like Indiana.
HOW THE INDIANA HOOSIERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Kudos to Tom Crean for the coaching job he's done with IU this year. He's lost James Blackmon Jr., arguably his best offensive player outside of Yogi Ferrell for the season, and for the last couple games, he's been cutting and pasting together the shooting guard spot with various spare parts.
To Ferrell's credit, he has really stepped up at the end of the year. He put up 20 against Iowa on the road on Tuesday a handful of days after scoring 27 against Illinois. If he catches some fire, there isn't much anyone is going to be able to do to stop him.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
This is the first time these two teams have met this season, and we don't think it'll be the last either. Both of these clubs are awfully good, even if Indiana isn't at full strength and even if Maryland hasn't been at its best in recent games.
This game reeks of a classic to us. Trimble and Ferrell could end up going at it for the full 40 minutes. There's a good chance that Thomas Bryant and Troy Williams could end up cancelling out the efforts of Stone and Layman. If that's what this comes down to, it could be up to Trimble or Ferrell to take a last shot.
Given that scenario, we want the points one way or the other.
Maryland 74, Indiana 72
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker's new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Indiana Hoosiers will start at 4:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 6, 2016 at Assembly Hall. The game will be televised nationally on CBS.
