West Virginia vs. Maryland picks, predictions: Who wins NCAA Tournament first-round game?
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No. 9 seed West Virginia and No. 8 seed Maryland face off on Thursday in an NCAA Tournament first-round game.
The game is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. MST and can be seen on CBS.
Who will win the game?
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Check out these picks and predictions for the contest.
West Virginia is a 2.5-point favorite in the game, according to Tipico Sportsbook.
FanDuel: West Virginia 74, Maryland 66
Devon Platana writes: “Although West Virginia is also coming off a loss, that defeat came against one of the country’s best programs. The Mountaineers have also scored 78-plus points in two of their last three games, which is a number that the Terrapins have hit just once in their previous 10 outings. With Maryland also losing 10 straight games as the underdog, look for West Virginia to get back on track this Thursday.”
Caleb Tallman writes: “The No. 9 Mountaineers are sitting as favorites by 2.5-point favorites to move on to the round of 32 in their meeting against the No. 8 Terrapins on Thursday at 12:15 PM on CBS. Maryland’s odds to win are currently at +115, with the total at 140 points. WVU has picked up 12 wins and 5 losses against the spread so far this season when they are the favorites by 2.5 points or more. My prediction is that Maryland takes a hard-fought win in a nail bitter.”
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Sporting News: Maryland 70, West Virginia 66
Jovan Alford writes: “Neither team is excellent at shooting the ball from beyond the arc, but they get contributions from multiple players. We know that West Virginia can score points, but it will be tougher against a good defense that gave teams in the Big Ten fits this season. Therefore, we like Maryland to come away with a tight win thanks to the play of Young and the Terps to win the battle on the boards.”
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Fansided: Go with West Virginia to cover against Maryland
Iain MacMillan writes: “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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Sportsbook Wire: West Virginia 71, Maryland 70
It writes: “West Virginia has covered 17 times in 33 matchups with a spread this season. Maryland has won 20 games against the spread this year, while failing to cover or pushing 13 times.”
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: West Virginia vs. Maryland picks, predictions: Who wins NCAA Tournament first-round game?