The Northwestern Wildcats (15-4) head to Maryland to take on the No. 7-ranked Terrapins (16-2) in what should be a high-scoring game. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Jan. 19 and can be seen on BTN.
The Terrapins enter this game hoping for similar success after blowing out Ohio State 100-65 on Saturday. Rasheed Sulaimon was a key piece with 22 points, five assists, and two rebounds. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 71-62 loss against Penn State on Saturday. Tre Demps had a game-high 22 points.
It might turn into a shootout as a pair of the nation’s top offenses match up. Maryland ranks 17th in the country with 117.5 points per 100 possessions, while Northwestern is 26th in that metric (115.6). The Wildcats should also expect to protect the ball well. They rank 20th at avoiding errors (TO% of 15.4%). Conversely, the Terrapins force the 73rd-fewest turnovers in the nation (opponents’ TO% of 17.2%).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Terrapins winning the first matchup 72-59. Melo Trimble had a stellar game with 24 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals, one block, and five three-pointers.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Maryland, a substantial 12-point favorite, takes on Northwestern. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently 138 points. The Terrapins come into this game 16-2 Straight Up (SU) and 9-8-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Terrapins are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .385 from beyond the arc. Turning to the defensive side, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Terrapins. The 64.0 points that Maryland’s defense allows per game makes them the 29th-ranked defense in the country.
As for their opponent, the Wildcats have records of 7-7-2 ATS and 15-4 SU. The Wildcats rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking 34th in the nation with 166 made (8.0 per game). The Wildcats are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking fourth in Division I at 1.72.
The Terrapins’ win over Northwestern in their last game bumped their SU record to 3-0 over Northwestern. With a 2-1 record, the Terrapins also have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – NW, ATS Winner – NW, O/U – Over
Notes
Maryland is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Maryland’s last 9 games at home.
Maryland sits at 5-1 SU against conference rivals, while Northwestern has an even 3-3 SU record against its foes.
Northwestern averages 76.0 points per game, placing the team just 129th in the nation. Maryland ranks 29th in points allowed, giving up 64.0 points per game.
Northwestern averages 77.2 points per away game (ranked 42nd). Maryland allows 61.8 points per home game (ranked 51st).
The Maryland Terrapins rank 17th for their offensive rating of 117.5. The Northwestern Wildcats have a defensive rating of 97.9 (ranked 88th).
On average, Maryland has 67.2 possessions per game and scores 1.175 points on each possession. Northwestern has both fewer possessions (65.7) and scores fewer points during those possessions (1.156).
The Northwestern Wildcats average an effective field goal percentage of 54.3% this season. The Maryland Terrapins have split their games this season (2-2) when opponents have an eFG% of 54.3% or greater.
On average, Maryland attempts 21.0 three pointers and Northwestern attempts 24.0. Both teams have winning records when they have 20 or more three point attempts. The Maryland Terrapins sit at 10-2 and the Northwestern Wildcats are 13-4.
The fourth-ranked team in the category, Northwestern has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.72 this season. Maryland ranks lower at 132nd with an A/TO of 1.13.
Maryland ranks 289th in offensive rebounds, while Northwestern ranks 67th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Maryland forces a turnover rate of 17.2%. When Northwestern turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 5-2 record.
