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Back Villanova for ATS Win vs Maryland

· Nov 17 - 4 minutes read

Two under-performing high-major teams meet Friday night in the Gavitt Tip-Off Games when Maryland travels to Villanova. After a promising start to the season, the Villanova Wildcats lost to cross-city rival Pennsylvania, while the Terrapins have lost two straight one-possession games.

Will Villanova bounce back for the victory and can they cover the spread set by the Las Vegas betting odds? Or will Maryland get its first road win, a much-needed one against a quality opponent?

Inefficiency Plagues Both Teams

Things looked to be trending up for Villanova in year two under Kyle Neptune before Monday night’s loss to Penn. It had two convincing wins against low-major opponents to open the season and were ranked 21st in the latest AP Poll, boosting its college basketball odds.

But an inefficient shooting night, the story of its season, doomed the Wildcats, leaving their season field goal percentage at just 45. Justin Moore has been strong in his first full season back from a torn Achilles. He averages over 18 points, though he has taken over 20 more shots than the next-highest Wildcat.

Maryland has been even less efficient, connecting on just 40 percent of its shots. Junior forward Julian Reese has been the outlier, averaging 13 points on an excellent 59 percent shooting. Junior point guard Jahmir Young, tabbed to the preseason Big Ten first team, leads the team with 14 points per game, though does so on a far less efficient 38.5 percent shooting.

The shooting issues are a reason for the low total on college basketball lines.

3-Point Line Could Be Pivotal

In the loss to Davidson, the Terps allowed over 50 percent shooting from behind the 3-point line. While they only allowed one against UAB, it was on a shockingly low nine attempts. Villanova still shoots over 34 percent from beyond the arc on the season, despite coming off its worst showing against Penn. But a lot of that can be attributed to just one combined 3-pointer from TJ Bamba and Braden Hausen, a far cry from their combined 60 percent through the first two contests.

Maryland, meanwhile, has struggled immensely from three, connecting on only 22.6 percent of attempts, leaving them in the bottom 20 in the nation. No player has more than four total makes through three games. Yet, the team continues to take 20 per game. The Terps now must both shoot better from beyond the arc while keeping the Wildcats in check. The battle of the perimeter should favor Villanova and should be considered when making your College Basketball picks.

Bet Villanova to Win and Cover

We believe Villanova will be the team to get back on track, led by its experience and 3-point shooting edge. If the Wildcats can tighten up shooting from the floor, they should eclipse the College Basketball betting line of 6½ points.

NCAAB Pick: Villanova -6½