Barry Recks
A No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchup is what we have in this battle in the first round between the Maryland Terrapins and the West Virginia Mountaineers. This game has the potential to be the most thrilling of them all in the opening round, at least.
Read on for more about this Maryland vs West Virginia matchup in the 2022-23 college basketball season, including the latest odds, pick, and prediction to win this showdown, as brought to you by JefeBet. Also, don’t forget to check out the other NCAAB game previews here to help you make the best betting decisions.
Picks and Predictions for the Maryland Terrapins vs West Virginia MountaineersNCAA Basketball Championship Round 1 Game on March 16, 2023
- Where: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama
- When: Thursday, March 16, 2023, 12:15 PM ET
- March Madness Betting Odds: View NCAAB Odds
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Betting on the Maryland Terrapins
- Regular Season Record: 21-12
The Terrapins came up short in the Big Ten tournament, as they lost to the Indiana Hoosiers in the quarterfinals, 70-60. Nevertheless, Maryland is capable of beating any team in the tournament. Coming from an incredibly competitive conference, the Terps have battled and won against some of the best in the nation.
Maryland has wins against the likes of the Purdue Boilermakers, Northwestern Wildcats, and Indiana as well. Kevin Willard has done an admirable job of steering Maryland in just his first year at the helm as the team’s head coach, even leading the Terrapins to a blazing 8-0 start to the season. Maryland is averaging 70.4 points per game and doesn’t have to score a lot to win games because of its tight defense that is giving up just 63.2 points per outing – 23rd best in the nation.
Betting on the West Virginia Mountaineers
- Regular Season Record: 19-14
Like Maryland, West Virginia also survived a hellish conference play in the Big 12 – arguably the toughest in Division I basketball. While the Mountaineers only got 19 wins overall, they are a team that scored victories at the expense of the likes of the TCU Horned Frogs, Auburn Tigers, Iowa State Cyclones, and Kansas State Wildcats, who are all going to dance this March.
One thing to watch out for about this West Virginia squad is its explosive offense which is 15th in the nation with 117.1 points per 100 possessions adjusted. A lot of those points come from the foul line, though, as the Mountaineers love playing aggressively. In fact, West Virginia is top 20 in Division I basketball both in terms of free-throw attempts per game and made free throws per contest.
JefeBet Prediction
Don’t be surprised if this game ends up being decided on the last possession, We expect West Virginia to make the right plays down the stretch on offense while forcing some key turnovers to come away with a close win.
Prediction: West Virginia wins, 75-73.
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