The Marquette Golden Eagles take on the Maryland Terrapins in College Park, MD. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1.
The Terps are favored by 1.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -125. The total is also set at 146.
Here’s my Marquette vs. Maryland predictions and college basketball picks for November 15, 2024.
Marquette vs Maryland Prediction
My Pick: Marquette +1.5
My Marquette vs Maryland best bet is on the Golden Eagles spread, with the best odds currently available at BetMGM. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Marquette vs Maryland Odds
| Marquette Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -110 | 146 -110o / -110u | +105 |
| Maryland Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -110 | 146 -110o / -110u | -125 |
- Marquette vs Maryland spread: Maryland -1.5
- Marquette vs Maryland over/under: 146 points
- Marquette vs Maryland moneyline: Maryland -125, Marquette +105
- Marquette vs Maryland best bet: Marquette +1.5
Spread
Shaka Smart is a reliable bet as an underdog. I'm taking Marquette and the points on the road.
Moneyline
I like Marquette in an upset, but I prefer it getting the points.
Over/Under
The total here is about right, with the better value on the spread.
My Pick:Â Marquette +1.5
Marquette vs Maryland College Basketball Betting Preview
Marquette Basketball
Marquette had a magical season last year, reaching the Big East title game, earning a two-seed in the Big Dance and advancing to the Sweet 16. Five of the seven biggest contributors on that team are back in Milwaukee this season, including Kam Jones.
Unfortunately, however, that list does not include all-conference performers Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro. That duo was not just the two best players on the team last season, but the one-two punch that defined the style of play for the Golden Eagles.
Smart's offense fed through Kolek and his work with Ighodaro in the pick-and-roll game. Everyone else on the roster, though useful and talented, had secondary roles.
Those secondary players return, with the burden of creating and producing offense on their shoulders.
To date, that has worked out. Marquette is 3-0, against meager competition.
That success has largely come on the defensive side of the ball, where the Golden Eagles are flashing back to Smart's Havoc days at VCU, leading the nation in steal rate.
Maryland Basketball
Early in the season, expectations for the Terps are as high as they've ever been during the Kevin Willard era. Maryland is a top 30 team in KenPom, with a roster built to compete this season.
The headliner is freshman Derik Queen, a Baltimore native who posted 22 points and 20 rebounds in his first game in College Park. He's joined in the frontcourt by productive big man Julian Reese — you may know his sister Angel.
Maryland is led in scoring by Virginia Tech transfer Rodney Rice, who exploded for 28 points in his second outing.
That trio is joined by Ja'Kobi Gillespie, who scored 17 points per game at Belmont last season.
No question the Terps have solid team and have looked solid, but to date, they have done so against bottom-of-the-barrel competition. Maryland is 3-0, with three wins of 30+ points.
Those three opponents all rank 250th or worse in KenPom and have not yet beaten a D-I opponent in regulation, with Mount St. Mary's double-overtime win over Bucknell the lone victory by any of them.
The Terps may have their day in the sun, but it won't come until the schedule gets harder, starting with this date with Marquette.
Marquette vs Maryland Betting Analysis
Smart is one of the most reliable coaches in college basketball as an underdog. In his time at Marquette, his teams are 22-12-2 ATS as a 'dog, with an 11-6-1 record as a 'dog on the road (including seven outright wins).
Willard, on the other hand, has been reliably disappointing as a favorite in his coaching career. When his team is favored by single digits, Willard is 90-104-3 ATS.
To make matters even sweeter, these coaches have met, with Willard favored twice in their careers. Smart's teams won both games outright.
Beyond the numbers, I trust Smart and his experienced roster in this spot.
