Holy Cross vs. Maryland Women's March Madness Odds, Analysis

Among the NCAA Division I basketball teams in Massachusetts, Holy Cross is in a class by itself. It is the only program, men’s or women’s, to earn a March Madness berth this year.

The Crusaders knocked off Boston University 66-61 in the Patriot League tournament just hours before the Selection Show on Sunday that revealed the 68-team women’s tournament bracket.

There is an added level of excitement to March Madness this year, as sports betting in Massachusetts is now live. Commonwealth bettors can place wagers on teams playing in tournaments with at least four participants. So, betting on Holy Cross is fair game for MA residents.

Seeded at No. 15 in the College Park, Maryland, regional, the Crusaders will face No. 2 seed Maryland on Friday, March 17.

Holy Cross vs. Maryland betting odds

Game odds for Holy Cross vs Maryland are not yet available on Massachusetts sportsbooks, but they will be up before tip-off on Friday.

The good news is that both FanDuel Massachusetts and Caesars Sportsbook MA are offering futures odds for the women’s tournament.

The Terrapins have odds of +3500 to win it all on DraftKings, and odds of +4000 to go all the way on Caesars. As a 15 seed, Holy Cross’ odds are a bit steeper. The Crusaders are +70000 to win it all on DraftKings MA, and +500000 on Caesars MA.

The Crusaders and the Terrapins have only met twice, and the series is tied 1-1. The last meeting was on Nov. 30, 1997, a contest that Maryland won. Maryland sits at No. 6 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 7 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll.

If Holy Cross gets past Maryland, the team will play either No. 7 Arizona or No. 10 West Virginia in the second round. Those teams will play each other in College Park before Holy Cross tips off against Maryland.

Here’s a breakdown of Holy Cross and the team’s first-round opponent.

NCAAW March Madness bracket breakdown

There are two Sweet 16/Elite Eight sites for the women’s tournament: Greenville, SC, and Seattle, WA. 

Holy Cross’ College Park regional winner would go to Greenville.

The Greenville half of the bracket includes the overall No. 1 seed and reigning champions, the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks (32-0). South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, who won all last season’s National Player of the Year awards, was a local prep standout at Massachusetts’ own Worcester Academy before heading to play for the Gamecocks.

Holy Cross head coach Maureen Magarity is the second person in her family to direct a women’s team to a Patriot League title. Her dad Dave led Army to the title in 2016. The duo became the first father-daughter combo to coach against each other in 2021.

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