The Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-19) will try to put an end to their 14-game skid when they take on the No. 6-ranked No. 6-ranked Maryland Terrapins (22-4) at Williams Arena. Action starts at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 18 and can be seen on BTN.
The Golden Gophers lost to Iowa 75-71 on Sunday. Nate Mason finished with 14 points to lead the team. The Terrapins, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 70-57 loss to Wisconsin on Saturday. Rasheed Sulaimon had a good shooting night, leading the team with 17 points.
The Golden Gophers should be expected to protect the ball well in this contest. They rank 26th in the nation at avoiding errors (TO% of 15.7%). Meanwhile, Maryland forces the 54th-fewest turnovers in the nation (16.5%). Moreover, the 31st-ranked offense of the Terrapins (offensive efficiency of 113.7) will try to exploit the 286th-ranked defense of the Golden Gophers (defensive efficiency of 108.4).
The Golden Gophers have gone 6-19 Straight Up (SU) and 8-15 Against The Spread (ATS). The Minnesota defense is doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games. It is allowing an average of 65.2 points per game, well under their season average of 74.6. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of the Minnesota offense, which averages just 10.7 turnovers per game.
On the other side, Maryland has a SU record of 22-4 and an ATS record of 12-13-1. During the last 10 games, they averaged 64.9 PPG, below their 76.2 PPG season average. The Terrapins convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking 10th in the country at .494. The Maryland defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking 20th in Division I with only 64.2 points allowed per game. Maryland’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .398 from the field. They average 5.6 blocks per game, good for 13th in the nation.
The conference foes will be facing off in their first head-to-head contest of the season. When they last met the Terrapins were winners, bumping their SU record to 3-0. The Terrapins also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 3-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – MD, ATS Winner – MD
Notes
Minnesota averages 69.3 points per game, placing the team just 202nd in the nation. Maryland ranks 20th in points allowed, giving up 64.2 points per game.
Minnesota scores just 71.1 points per home game (ranked 212th). Maryland ranks 30th in points allowed on the road, giving up 67.8 points.
Ranked 31st, the Maryland Terrapins have an offensive rating of 113.7. The Minnesota Golden Gophers rank 286th with a defensive rating of just 108.4.
Maryland has an average field goal percentage of 49.4% (ranked 10th). Minnesota is an abysmal 1-7 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, Minnesota attempts 20.0 three pointers and Maryland attempts 20.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Minnesota Golden Gophers have a 5-8 record while the Maryland Terrapins have an exceptional 11-3 record.
Minnesota ranks 282nd in offensive rebounds, while Maryland ranks 64th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Minnesota forces a turnover rate of 17.5%. When Maryland turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has an outstanding 13-3 record.
