Maryland (8-3 SU, 8-3 ATS) returns to action to take on Saints Peter's (6-5 SU, 4-6 ATS) on Thursday night at Xfinity Center in College Park, Md. at 6:30pmET.
These teams last met on Dec. 4, 2020 with the Terps winning 90-57 as a 13-point favorite at home. After this game, the Peacocks head to conference play to face Manhattan on Dec. 30 at home. The Terps will host local rival UMBC at home on Dec. 29 before heading to conference play on Jan. 1 (at Michigan).
Saint Peter's hopes to catch a former Top-25 team in Maryland in a slump. They are coming off a two-game winning streak, having won at Hartford (58-57) as an 8.5-point favorite and beating conference rival Quinnipiac 63-56 as a 4.5-point dog at home on Dec. 18. Of course, it was going to be impossible to repeat last year's incredible run to the Elite Eight with five starters gone and Shaheen Holloway headed to Seton Hall. He replaced Kevin Willard, who is now at Maryland. Former Wagner coach Bashir Mason took over and he's done a pretty good job with a bunch of transfers and holdovers.
In their last game against Quinnipiac, Isaiah Dasher, a 6-4 points guard who came off the bench last season, had 29 points and four assists on 11-of-20 shooting to lead the Peacocks. Saint Peter's shot just 38.6% from the field and 7-of-28 (25%) from beyond the arc. They did outrebound the Bobcats 42-35 and held them to just 31.4% shooting from the field and 3-of-21 (14%) from beyond the arc.
This is not a team that will outscore opponents in a shootout. They average just 65.7 points per game on 39.5% shooting (31.1% 3pt) and shoot 67.6% (273) from the free throw line. They are an outstanding rebounding team (+8.5). On defense, they are allowing 64.6 points per game on 40.6% shooting and just 28.6% from beyond the arc (35th). Dasher leads the team with 13.9 points per game, while guard Latrell Reid, a former walk-on, averages 7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists.