Maryland Terrapins vs. Indiana Hoosiers Pick 1/26/20

Maryland Terrapins (15-4 SU, 9-9-1 ATS) vs. Indiana Hoosiers (15-4 SU, 10-9 ATS)
When: Sunday, January 26, 1 p.m.
Where: Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Ind.
TV: CBS

Point Spread: MD +1/IND -1 (Best Basketball Lines)
Total: O/U 133.5

Last Time Out:

Maryland beat Northwestern 77-66; Indiana outlasted Michigan State 67-63.

Scouting the Terrapins:

Maryland finally showed that it could actually win a game of any kind away from College Park, and even though it was Northwestern, it still didn’t come easily. Maryland was forced to roar back to life after a slow start, using up a lot of energy in the process. Still, they got the win and now move on to face an Indiana squad that has been a home-court hero itself, as the Hoosiers have lost just once all year in Bloomington and have been a force inside their own building regardless of expectations.

To get a result, Maryland’s got to shoot it better than the 19-for-54 it put up against Northwestern. The Terrapins escaped because they hit 26 of 29 free throws, a number that they probably will not get in Bloomington. Jalen Smith and Anthony Cowan have to make sure they are hitting shots because any opening in this game is likely too much.

Scouting the Hoosiers:

Joey Brunk got his chances to deliver earlier this week, and he didn’t disappoint, as he was responsible for 14 points and the game-winning basket as the Hoosiers knocked off Michigan State to get their fifth league win. Now, can they build off this so that they can get themselves toward the top of the Big Ten? Indiana played reasonably poorly in the first matchup between these squads and watched helplessly as the Terrapins built a lead of nearly 30 points before the Hoosiers managed to salvage a closer finish.

It’s almost certain that revenge is going to be firmly on the minds of the Hoosiers, and they’ve got the talent needed to turn the game’s result around on Maryland and move up the ladder in the Big Ten. To do it, the Hoosiers have to keep up the defensive prowess they showed against Michigan State. Holding the Spartans to 45 percent shooting isn’t easy, but Indiana was able to do it and kept itself from ever letting Michigan State get comfortable. That’s going to need to happen again against Maryland.

X-Factor:

Life on the road. This actually works for both teams even though Indiana is at home because wintry mixes and ice storms have hit Indiana, which could make it treacherous for Hoosier fans to reach Bloomington, an out-of-the-way college town that isn’t close to anything. But while Indiana only has to worry about whether fans can drive carefully (which is posted all over Indiana’s Assembly Hall), Maryland has to be sure that it’s mentally ready to play this game and handle its second straight difficult. The Terrapins played poorly when they faced their last road back-to-back, getting drilled at Iowa before taking a second loss against Wisconsin. The Terrapins are known for their slow starts this season, and that only gets magnified away from home, which could give the Hoosiers a comfortable margin at the break if IU can build off that.

Maryland will Cover if:

The Terrapins can avoid the slow starts that have killed them all season long. Maryland tends not to get started until it’s the middle of the second half, which has hurt the Terps on multiple occasions this season. What usually occurs is Maryland ends up using most of its energy in the comeback, and the Terrapins either come out with a narrow win or fall short in the comeback attempt.

Maryland has already been through one comeback attempt this week, and a second might be too much for the Hoosiers to handle.

Indiana will Cover if:

The Hoosiers cut down on the turnovers. Indiana had 14 in the first meeting against the Terrapins, and there’s little chance that the Hoosiers are able to survive an onslaught of easy Maryland baskets created by their own miscues. If the turnover number is in single digits, the Hoosiers are going to be in great shape.

Dan’s Pick to Cover the Spread:

Maryland just hasn’t figured out how to play on the road in the Big Ten this year, and I don’t think Assembly Hall is the place for them to try to continue to figure out how to win away from home. The reality is that while Maryland has been outstanding on its own floor, the Terps have become very beatable away from College Park.

Maryland certainly has the talent to get a win in this game; the reality is that winning in Assembly Hall is about more than just talent. It takes a mentality, a sense of willingness to adjust to whatever comes your way. Weird things happen in a building as old and historic as Assembly Hall, and I’m not sure that this Maryland team is ready for the challenge of having a sea of crimson and cream fans on top of them.

I don’t love the idea of taking Indiana on a follow up from their win over Michigan State, but I can’t ignore what the Hoosiers have done at home this year. Give me Indiana to keep it rolling.