Grand Canyon vs Maryland Odds, Picks and Predictions

• The Maryland Terrapins are 10.5-point favorites over the Grand Canyon Lopes in the West Region’s 4 vs 13 1st Round matchup
• Grand Canyon took down Saint Mary’s last year in the 1st Round as a 12-seed
• See my Grand Canyon vs Maryland odds, picks and predictions for March Madness, below

Last year, Grand Canyon (26-7) pulled off a stunning upset in the 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament. I think they’re capable of an encore performance when they Face Maryland (25-8) on Friday. Online sportsbooks however, disagree. Per the latest college basketball odds, the Terps are massive favorites in the West Region’s 4 vs 13 matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:35pm ET at the Climate Pledge Arena, in Seattle, WA, with TBS providing the broadcast coverage.

Grand Canyon vs Maryland Odds

Maryland is currently favored by 10.5-points and -600 on the moneyline. The total sits at 150.5, with the Lopes coming back as +440 underdogs. Per the college basketball public betting trends, GCU is garnering 67% of the spread wagers, while over 150.5 is drawing 62% of the total bets.

DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK

Sign Up Today & Receive Up to
$1,050 in Bonuses!

LOCK IN PROMO

SIGNUP PROMO

SIGN UP
& GET $1,050

BONUS BETS + DEPOSIT BONUS

GET PROMO

Grand Canyon vs Maryland Predictions

My prediction is the Lopes give Maryland all they can handle. Will it be enough to pull off the upset? We’ll see, but I love them against the spread and I won’t shy away from a sprinkle on their moneyline.

Last year, as a 12-seed in the March Madness bracket, they beat 5-seed Saint Mary’s outright. They followed up that performance by narrowly missing out on an even bigger upset. They were leading 4-seed Alabama with 5 minutes to go, before ultimately falling short.

This year marks the third straight season the Lopes have made the tournament. Tyon Grant-Foster and Ray Harrison, staples of last year’s team, are back for a fifth year, bringing veteran leadership to the group. JaKobe Coles averages a team-high 15 points, and is fresh off the WAC Tournament’s most outstanding player award.

Unlike previous GCU teams, this year’s version doesn’t rely on the three. They attack the rim, and play extremely up tempo. They have size and crash the boards, while playing tenacious defense. The Lopes hold enemy shooters to the 26th worst effective field goal percentage in the country, and force 15 turnovers per night.

Grand Canyon vs Maryland Stats

This is the exact type of mid-major team most programs typically want to avoid. GCU’s frantic pace forces terrible decisions by the opposition, but the Terps have the ingredients to combat it. All five starters score in double-figures. Maryland average 18 points off turnovers themselves, rank sixth in defensive rating, and are getting sleeper buzz in the Final Four odds.

The Terps are led by Derik Queen, the Big Ten freshman of the year. He averages 16 points and 9 boards per night, and forms a formidable 1-2 punch with Julian Reese in the front court. Maryland’s guards protect the ball and shoot it well, knocking down 37% of their threes. They can be streaky from the outside, but once the nerves settle down they can be assassins from behind the arc.

The Terps play at a fairly high pace as well, so they won’t be thrown off by the Lopes desire to push the tempo. Nevertheless, I believe GCU will hang around and keep this game close throughout.

Grand Canyon vs Maryland Picks

• Grand Canyon +10.5 (-110) at DraftKings

Another reason to like the Lopes is how they start games. GCU owns an average first half margin of +7.2 this season, and boast the second best first half scoring defense in the nation.

They have a ton of experience left over from last year’s tournament team, and have fared well against their lone power conference opponents. The Lopes beat Stanford and took Georgia, the lone tournament team they faced, down to the wire. They enter play with 20 wins in their last 23 games, and are going to be one tough out.