West Virginia vs. Maryland prediction and odds for NCAA Tournament First Round

The West Virginia Mountaineers and Maryland Terrapins will face-off in a fascinating 8/9 matchup in the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament.

West Virginia finished in eighth in the Big 12 this season, but it had some impressive wins throughout the season, including wins against TCU, Auburn, Iowa State (twice), Pitt, and Kansas State.

Meanwhile, Maryland finished in fifth and has wins over Miami, Illinois, Indiana, Penn State, Purdue, and Northwestern.

Let’s take a look at the odds for the game and then I’ll break down my best bet for this 8/9 showdown.

West Virginia vs. Maryland odds, spread, and total

West Virginia vs. Maryland prediction and pick

Before we dive into evaluating these teams individually, let’s remember that the Big 12 was the best conference in college basketball this season. That should give the Mountaineers an edge before we even dive into the numbers themselves.

Fans of the Terps should also be concerned with how they’ve performed away from their home stadium this season. Maryland went 16-1 at home this season but just 2-9 on the road. Their effective field goal percentage also drops 5.9% on the road and their average scoring margin drops from +13 at home to +1.1 on the road.

Can they manage to pull things together now that they have to play at a neutral site? I’m not so confident.

West Virginia also thrives in a category that I love when it comes to handicapping games. That stat is extra scoring chances per game. They sit at 42nd, averaging +3.3 average scoring chances per game.

I’ll back the Mountaineers to get it done in the Round of 64.

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.