Houston Cougars versus Maryland Terrapins CBS TV NCAA Tournament College Basketball Sports Betting Odds Pick Preview

Published on March 17, 2010 by admin · No Comments

The Houston Cougars off their upset win in the Conference USA Tournament will face the Maryland Terrapins in a first round NCAA Tournament game on Friday night. Tip off time at the Spokane Memorial Arena in Spokane Washington is scheduled for 9:50PM Eastern Time with national television coverage provided by CBS.

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The point spread for this opening round NCAA tournament game was opened up by the LVSC college basketball odds makers and the Maryland Terrapins were opened as 9 point betting favorites with the over under coming in at 151.

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The bettors came in early in this college basketball game on the favorite, as the Maryland Terrapins are currently 9 ½ point favorites. The total has seen the early movement go the way of the over, as the game is currently lined at 157.

Money line gamblers betting the side of the favored Maryland Terrapins will lay –500 odds with the underdog Houston Cougars bringing back +400 odds to pull off the upset win without the need for taking the points.

It will be the first meeting this regular season between these teams.

We will look at these teams based on their performance when meeting NCAA Tournament qualified teams.

Maryland finished regular season play with a 23-8 overall record and 13-3 versus ACC conference foes. The team qualified for the tournament as an at large team. The Terrapins faced off against 11 teams in the NCAA Tournament and went 5-6 overall. The team averaged 69.4 points per game in those contests and allowed 72.3. The Terrapins shot 41.1% and allowed 42.1%. The school made 32.5% of their three point shots and converted on 73.5% of their free throws.

Houston ended regular season play with a 19-15 record and 7-9 versus Conference USA teams. The Cougars qualified for the NCAA Tournament with an upset win in the Conference USA tournament. Houston squared off in 3 games versus NCAA Tournament bound teams and went 2-1. The Cougars averaged 80.2 points per game and allowed 70.8. They made 43.2% of their shots and allowed 40.4%. The team made 40.5% of their three point shots and delivered a 74.2% free throw percentage.

Maryland enters play winners of 7 of their past 8 games. They had their 7 game winning streak broken in the quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament. It was the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets pulling out the 69-64 upset victory over the Terrapins as a 4-point underdog. Maryland had a rough shooting game hitting on just 37.3% of their shots and allowed a high 55.8% shooting percentage. In their 74-68 road win at Virginia prior to the ACC Tournament the Terrapins allowed a high 53.1% shooting to the Cavaliers.

The Houston Cougars enter NCAA Tournament play on a high winner of 4 straight games. The team won 4 games in 4 nights to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. They began play in the Conference USA Tournament with a 93-80 blowout win against the East Carolina Pirates as a 12 ½ point favorite. They then upset Memphis 66-65 as a 6-½ point underdog in the quarterfinals. They then defeated Southern Mississippi 74-66 as a 1-½ point favorite. Then in the finals of the Conference USA Tournament in front of a national audience the team pulled away late in the second half for an 81-73 victory over UTEP. Houston shot well in their win against UTEP by hitting on 46.6% of their shots and 48% from three.

Trend: Houston Cougars are 5-1 ATS on neutral courts this season

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