Holy Cross vs Maryland Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 17 NCAA Women's Tournament Game (Terrapins Move On)

Holy Cross vs Maryland Game Info

  • 2022-23 NCAA Women's Tournament Game
  • Holy Cross (24-8,'13-4 Away) v s. No. 7 Maryland (25-6,11-2 Home)
  • Date:'Friday, March 17, 2023
  • Time:'2:30 p.m. ET
  • Venue:'XFINITY Center — College Park, Maryland
  • Coverage:'ESPNN

Friday, March 17's'2022-23 NCAA Women's Tournament'lineup features the No. 15 Holy Cross Crusaders going one-on-one with the No. 2 Maryland Terrapins in a first-round Greenville Region clash.

Holy Cross is on a six-game winning streak, most recently defeating Boston College 66-61 to win the Patriot League Championship. Meanwhile, Maryland's winning streak came to an end at seven games with an 89-84 loss to Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.

Which team will advance with a win on Friday? Let's explore.

Holy Cross vs Maryland Odds & Spread

  • All'women's college basketball betting lines, odds and prop bets'are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
  • Moneyline:'HC: (+4000) | MD: (-10000)
  • Spread:'HC: +26.5 (-108) | MD: -26.5 (-112)
  • Total:'133.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

Maryland enters this contest as a dominant favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 2:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 133.5 points with both sides available at -110 odds.

Holy Cross vs Maryland Prediction & Pick

Maryland shouldn't have any issues moving past Holy Cross. The Terrapins average the 13th-most points (79.0 PPG) on the 43rd-best field-goal percentage (44.1%) in the country. For comparison, the Crusaders average a mere 61.8 PPG (No. 242) while hitting 42.3% of their shots from the floor (No. 106).

And while Holy Cross may have the better defensive numbers o n paper, that's because of the weaker competition that the Patriot League offers. Considering how the Crusaders haven't made it beyond Round 1 in over 30 years, I don't see them putting up much of a fight.

Maryland is a top-25 program nationwide for a reason. Don't overthink things here.

Final Score Prediction:'Maryland: 83 | Holy Cross: 53

Holy Cross vs Maryland Best Bet

The odds point toward Maryland covering the spread and it's hard to disagree. The Terrapins are capable of blowing out any team w ith their thunderous offense and Holy Cross is no exception. Even though a 26.5-point spread is far from ideal, it's a much better option than chasing the moneyline.