NCAAB Pick: Maryland vs. Ohio State Under 137 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
Making college basketball picks is a lot more fun when ranked teams are involved. Squeezing any betting value out of these games can be hard at times, but after digging deep, and peeling back the layers, we’ve found three high-profile matchups from Wednesday’s slate that are worth the requisite single unit of your bankroll – starting in the cradle of college hoops, the Big Ten Conference.
Maryland Terrapins vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 – 07:00 PM EST at Value City Arena
This could be a surprisingly close one, with No. 21 Maryland favored by just two points over unranked Ohio State, but we’re looking at that 137-point total on the NCAAB odds board at BetOnline. That’s about two points too many according to the projections we’re following here at the home office.
Why Bet the Under?
Because the Terrapins (under 18-11) live up to their name. They only get in 65.1 possessions per game; Ken Pomeroy has Maryland ranked No. 301 overall in Adjusted Tempo. The Buckeyes (over 15-13-1) are also a bit on the slow side at 66.5 possessions (No. 229).
Having said that, Maryland did beat Ohio State 80-73 (over 136.5) back on January 8 as 2-point home faves. The Buckeyes kept that game reasonably close by shooting 9-for-19 (47.4%) from downtown. That’s well above their season average of 35.4% (No. 119), and the Terps normally allow opponents to hit 31.4% (No. 52) from behind the arc.
Buckeyes, are any of you looking to make a bet? Well, look no further since you can make them at these Ohio betting sites.
NCAAB Pick: Under 137 (-110) at BetOnline
Chicago State Cougars vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 – 09:00 PM EST at McCarthey Athletic Center
Next up, we have a classic “look-ahead” game for No. 10 Gonzaga (25-5 SU, 11-17-1 ATS). They’re favored by 27.5 points over Chicago State (11-18 SU, 16-9 ATS) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review), but the Zags only project to win this lopsided matchup by 26, and that might be a tad generous given the circumstances.
Will Drew Timme Play Wednesday?
It’s Senior Night in Spokane, and Timme (plus-9.0 BPM at Sports Reference) is one of three seniors in Mark Few’s starting five, so he’ll probably make at least a token appearance Wednesday night. Timme also confirmed Monday that he won’t be using his fifth year of eligibility, by the way.
There’s no need to push him, though. Gonzaga just beat Saint Mary’s on Saturday, and their Champ Week opener is next Monday, so don’t be surprised if Few uses this game against the independent barnstormers from Chicago State as a glorified warm-up.
NCAAB Pick: Chicago State +27.5 (-108) at Heritage Sports
DePaul Blue Demons vs. Connecticut Huskies
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 – 07:00 PM EST at XL Center
Our tour of the rankings ends with another mismatch in the Big East, where No. 14 UConn is projected to beat DePaul somewhere in the neighborhood of 82-65. That’s 1.5 points below the 148.5-point total at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review) if we did the math right.
Didn’t Their Last Game Go Over?
Yes it did; the Huskies mauled the Blue Demons 90-76 (over 145) on January 31 as 11-point road faves. But DePaul (14-14-1 Totals) didn’t have 6-foot-11 center Nick Ongenda for that contest, as he was recovering from wrist surgery.
Ongenda is exactly the kind of guy we want in the lineup for the rematch:
- Offense: minus-5.3 BPM
- Defense: plus-5.8 BPM
On top of that, we’re dealing with a total that’s 3.5 points higher this time, and UConn (over 18-11) has just as much reason to take it easy as Gonzaga, with the Big East Tournament starting Monday. Bet accordingly, and may the sphere be with you.
NCAAB Pick: Under 148.5 (-110) at Bovada
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
