The Maryland Terrapins have been through the gauntlet already this year. They've already had to contend with a good Rhode Island team as well as Georgetown and North Carolina. Now, they've got a very dangerous game on their hands, albeit against an unranked Connecticut Huskies team at Madison Square Garden, a place where Kevin Ollie and his men have been very comfortable over the years.
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HOW THE MARYLAND TERRAPINS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Maryland has scored at least 75 points in all but one of its games this year, and it would really help it if could run the Huskies off the court in this game. Connecticut is going to try to slow things down just a tick, though not nearly to a snail's pace or anything of the sorts.
The Terrapins are extremely athletic, and they've proven that in all of their games this year. Melo Trimble is one of the most exciting guards in the land when he has the ball in his hands, and when combined with Robert Carter, Damonte Dodd, Rasheed Sulaimon, Diamond Stone and Jake Layman, Maryland might have one of the most fun teams in the land to watch on a gamely basis.
The Terps just don't stop coming at you, and they have to keep that up in this game. They hung right in there with North Carolina by shooting 50.8 percent from the field while shooting 12-of-26 from beyond the arc.
However, if you want to point to a problem for Maryland, do so with its turnovers. The Terps turned it over 21 times against UNC, which is why that game was lost, and there have been a lot of points this season that this offense has been slowed down by its inability to hang onto the basketball.
If Maryland can keep itself under control, it should be in good shape in this game against a team which is clearly inferior from a talent standpoint.
HOW THE CONNECTICUT HUSKIES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Connecticut feels like it's just short right now of the elite teams. The Huskies were beaten in close encounters against both Gonzaga and Syracuse around Thanksgiving. Sure, aside from that they're undefeated, but they also haven't played much of anyone either.
What's missing this year is that alpha guard, the man like Ryan Boatright, Kemba Walker or Shabazz Napier. Rodney Purvis can be that man, but he just hasn’t shown that same sort of ability to take a game over like his predecessors.
Sterling Gibbs and Daniel Hamilton could play a big role in this game as well. The Huskies have to win this game in the backcourt, as their frontcourt players, as good as Shonn Miller and Amida Brimah are, aren't holding a candle to what Maryland is bringing to the table.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
We'll take the points with the Huskies in this game, as we think they really aren't all that far away from being able to win a game like this.
Maryland could get a little sloppy, particularly when it comes to the ball getting in the paint. The Huskies force a slew of turnovers when the ball gets down in the low block, as men like Hamilton, Miller and Brimah have excellent hands and often poke balls free to scatter possessions.
The Terps still have the greater talent and will win this game, but we suspect they'll be laying a healthy number of points which could come in handy for UConn backers.
Maryland 77, Connecticut 72
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