The Fourth Seeded Maryland Terrapins take on the No. 5 seed Butler Bulldogs in the second round of the NCAA tournament Midwest Regional with a 3:20 p.m. ET tip-off at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. Oddsmakers like the Terrapins chances of getting past the Bulldogs and advancing to the Sweet-16 as they have been installed -5 ½ point favorites with a 133 total. A money line bet (ML) on the Terps will cost -240 while the ML juice on a win by Butler will pay +220.
In betting trends, Maryland is 8-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last nine games and 8-1 straight up (SU) in its last nine games. The total has gone under in the Terrapins last four games. Butler is only 5-5 ATS in its last ten games while the total has split 5-5 but the UNDER has cashed in the last 3-of-4 games.
The Terps carry a mark of 25-8 (10-6 ACC) into the contest, while Butler is 28-6 (13-3 Horizon). Maryland is ranked 18th in the Associated Press poll and 22nd in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Butler is ranked 21st in the AP Poll and 19th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.
Butler advanced into the second round by defeating the Old Dominion Monarchs 57-46. This is the third time in the last three NCAA Tournament appearances that Butler has advanced beyond the first round. Maryland had a tough game with the Davidson Wildcats but pulled away late to preserve an 82-70 win and advancing into the round of 32.
Butler took control of its game against Old Dominion with a 17-0 scoring run midway through the second half. Guard A.J. Graves tied the game at 32-32 with a three-point field goal, and forward Pete Campbell followed with three consecutive three-point field goals. Guard Mike Green finished the run with a three-point field goal and a lay-up to give Butler a 46-32 advantage. Old Dominion never got closer than nine points for the rest of the game.
Six terrapins scored in double figures in Marylands game with Old Dominion. Trailing by eight points, 52-44, early in the second half, the Terps used a 25-11 run to surge ahead 69-63, with 7:27 to play. Late in the second half with Maryland ahead, 72-68, senior Mike Jones knocked down a three-pointer to give the Terps a seven point cushion with 2:11 to play. Maryland made 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Point-Spreads.com pick: Maryland -5 1/2.
