Grand Canyon vs Maryland Odds, Prediction and March Madness Picks March 21

Though they’re not talked about a lot in the top odds for NCAA basketball championship picks, the Maryland Terrapins could surprise more than a few people in the tournament. Maryland faces the Grand Canyon Lopes in Friday’s first-round matchup in the West Region and has won 12 of its last 15 games, with the losses coming by a total of seven points.

Still, we like Grand Canyon to at least stay close in this one. The Lopes have experience in the Big Dance, and coach Bryce Drew has his own history of pulling upsets in the tournament. Maryland is still one of the more solid March Madness bets to advance out of Friday’s action, but Grand Canyon should be able to cover the spread.

Grand Canyon vs Maryland Prediction Today, March 21

My prediction

The size of Maryland is tough for most teams to match up with as 6-foot-10 freshman Derik Queen and 6-9 Julian Reese forming an imposing duo on both ends of the floor. The Terrapins have been burned by a pair of buzzer-beating shots in their last two losses and have played a few close games over the last couple of months, and we like Grand Canyon to keep this one tight to the end.

The Lopes aren’t favored in the college basketball betting odds, but the WAC tournament champions are going to make the Terrapins sweat for the win .

Top 3 Grand Canyon vs Maryland Betting Picks

My top picks

1. Grand Canyon vs Maryland ATS Pick: Grand Canyon +10.5
2. Grand Canyon vs Maryland O/U Pick: Over 150
3. Grand Canyon vs Maryland best point-scorer bet: Derik Queen Over 17.5 Points

My Analysis

Both of these teams can light up the scoreboard when they get hot, and each has averaged over 79 points over their last 10 contests, per NCAA betting tips. This game should be a slugfest, with the length of the Maryland front line being the difference.

Queen is coming off one of the best games of his freshman season, scoring 31 points in a last-second loss to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament semifinals, and he’ll continue that in the NCAAs.

Derik Queen is an exceptionally skilled, cerebral offensive player at 6-10. Few bigs can process the game with such ease. https://t.co/17P68QEkMO pic.twitter.com/J7JsXgInlV

— Jacob Myers (@League_Him) March 12, 2025

It would obviously make some major college basketball news if the Lopes can pull this upset. Maryland is a popular pick for the Final Four by people that aren’t just filling in No. 1 seeds to advance, and it should begin a solid run with a victory in this one. Just not by the 10½ points set by BetUS Sportsbook.

Grand Canyon vs Maryland March Madness Best Prop Bet

• Maryland F Julian Reese Over 8.5 Rebounds (-121)

While Queen garners many of the headlines, Reese is a very effective player on the interior as well. The senior is averaging 9.0 rebounds, including double-digit totals in five of the last nine games. Grand Canyon is going to be focused on stopping Queen, which is going to allow Reese to get to the glass in this one. Reese has one of those March Madness games to remember, eclipsing his player prop for rebounds in this one.

Bet on Julian Reese Over 8.5 Rebounds (-121)

Grand Canyon vs Maryland How To Watch

• Game: Grand Canyon (26-7) vs Maryland (25-8)
• Date/Time: Friday, March 21, 4:35 p.m. ET
• Location: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
• Grand Canyon vs Memphis Live Stream: FuboTV

Check here for Grand Canyon vs Maryland stats.

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.