The Maryland Terrapins have surged to the top of the Big Ten standings and into the top-25 of the national rankings. They will aim to keep their recent success rolling in a road matchup with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Maryland has been the better team this season but does have the disadvantage of playing this one on the road. However, the Terrapins have turned some heads with their impressive play of late and should be the favorites in this nationally televised showdown.
At 7 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Thursday, January 19, 2017, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Maryland is 16-2 straight up and 10-7 against the spread on the year. The Terrapins have only played three true road games on the year but have impressed, covering in each attempt. Maryland has been the favorite 11 times this season but has only covered four of them. The Terrapins have been much better as the underdog, in which they are 6-0 against the spread.
Iowa is 11-8 straight up and 6-9-1 against the spread. The Hawkeyes have been much better at home this season, winning five times and pushing once in nine attempts. Iowa is 4-5 against the spread as the underdog on the season.
Key Stat
9. That’s the number of wins Maryland has in its past ten outings. The Terrapins have exceeded expectations thus far this season and now have creeped into the rankings. At 4-1, they are atop the Big Ten conference currently but have plenty of teams on their heels, so they have to keep it up.
Maryland knocked off Indiana a few games back, which was a nice barometer and gives it confidence moving forward. The Terrapins are doing it with their defense, which is only allowing 65 points per game.
On offense, Melo Trimble leads the way as he is averaging 17.2 points while adding 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Anthony Cowan adds 11.1 points and 3.6 assists per game, while Justin Jackson and Michael Cekovsky are also putting up double figures per game.
Maryland has nice depth, but Trimble is the player the Hawkeyes must key in on and slow down.
Player to Watch
Peter Jok -- For the second year in a row, Iowa has leaned on their senior guard to shoulder a lot of the scoring load. He is averaging 21.9 points as well as adding 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. Jok put up 16.1 points per game a year ago as a junior so he is used to leading the way.
Jok had 29 points two games ago in an upset of No. 17 Purdue but then only four in a lopsided loss to Northwestern last time out, so the way he plays can have a big impact on the result of the game. He will aim to put up big numbers but will be tested by a stingy Maryland defense.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Iowa just knocked off a ranked team at home two games ago, so an upset is not out of the question. However, Maryland is playing well and enters with a lot of confidence. With all due respect to Jok, Trimble is the best player on the court and has the better supporting cast.
While the Hawkeyes should be able to hang around in this one, if they fall behind it will be tough to rally against a formidable defense. The Terrapins will be able to flex their muscle and stay atop the Big Ten with a road win against Iowa.
College Basketball Odds: Maryland 74, Iowa 67
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