A pair of top-25 teams in the Big Ten will collide on Sunday afternoon, as Michigan travels to Maryland in a pivotal conference clash.
TV schedule: Sunday, March 3, 3:45 pm ET. CBS.
Arena: XFINITY Center in College Park, Md.
The Big Ten Conference race is heading down its home stretch, and a key league encounter will transpire on Sunday afternoon in College Park, Md. No. 9 Michigan (25-4, 14-4) is visiting No. 17 Maryland (21-8, 12-6) as each basketball squad nears the finish line of the 2018-19 regular season.
There is still a lot to determine in the Big Ten prior to the start of its conference tournament. The Wolverines remain in strong contention for the regular-season crown, while the Terrapins are looking to secure a top-four seed in the Big Ten tourney and bolster their March Madness resume.
Even more so, Maryland wants to protect its turf after falling at Michigan, 65-52, back in mid-February. The Terrapins better lock in, considering that they got blown out at Penn State a few days ago. The Wolverines, meanwhile, recently crushed Nebraska at home.
At this juncture, Michigan is No. 9 in the NCAA NET ratings, with an above-average mark of 6-3 in true road tilts. Maryland, on the other hand, is No. 26 in the NCAA NET system, and the Terrapins are a nifty 14-2 inside the XFINITY Center. It’s worth pointing out that Maryland has yet to lose in Big Ten competition on its own court, although the Wolverines pose a significant challenge.
As we begin to ponder about the NCAA Tournament, most bracketologists currently project Michigan as a No. 2 seed, and the Terrapins are hovering around the five-line. I do believe that the Wolverines will certainly put themselves in position for a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance by capturing the conference’s regular- and post-season titles.
Examining the statistics in this match-up, Maryland scores roughly 1.5 more points per game than Michigan, but the Terrapins also allow close to seven more points on defense. Both crews connect on about 45 percent from the field and around 35 percent from beyond the arc.
Maryland has an edge in rebounding and free-throw shooting. The Wolverines commit fewer turnovers and generate more steals. In fact, I think Michigan will have an excellent opportunity to conquer the Terrapins if it forces them into a sizable number of miscues that result in fast-break buckets.
For Maryland to get the job done, its talented guards have to take care of the ball with poise and fare well from long range. The Terrapins’ imposing forwards, sophomore Bruno Fernando and freshman Jalen Smith, must crash the offensive glass with aggression to pick up second-chance points and land at the charity stripe.
It won’t surprise me one iota if this duel is tightly contested throughout the entire 40 minutes. The Wolverines possess a 55.3 percent chance to prevail, according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, and I foresee Michigan emerging victorious in a huge road success.
Prediction: Michigan 68 – Maryland 64
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