Iowa vs. Maryland Prediction, Pick & Odds: Clark Dominates in Debut of 'Caitlin Cam'

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03 February 2024

Iowa vs. Maryland Prediction, Pick & Odds: Clark Dominates in Debut of 'Caitlin Cam'

Caitlin Clark is closing in on women's college basketball history ahead of Iowa's contest against Maryland on Saturday, and we make our best Iowa vs. Maryland prediction based on the best college basketball odds from our best sports betting sites.

With every passing game, Caitlin Clark is getting closer to rewriting the college basketball record books in a big way. And all eyes will be on the senior - literally - when her Iowa Hawkeyes (20-2) face the Maryland Terrapins (12-9) in Saturday's Big Ten contest.

In the midst of Clark's record-breaking season for Iowa, FOX is launching the “Caitlin Cam” for Saturday's game and streaming the Hawkeyes star on TikTok by following her every move on offense. It’s a great game to debut the cam with Clark set to light up a Terrapins defense that hasn’t been able to stop any of the Big Ten’s best players this season.

It also gives her a chance to inch ever-closer to Kelsey Plum's career scoring record, with Clark just 103 points away from becoming the sport's all-time leading scorer.

Here is our best Iowa v. Maryland prediction and our college basketball picks (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Iowa vs. Maryland prediction

Over 165.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It’s no secret that Iowa has the most explosive offense in the country behind Caitlin Clark, as the Hawkeyes are averaging a nation-best 91.8 points after dropping 110 on Northwestern earlier this week.

Iowa has scored at least 80 points in 18 of 22 games this season and the program has been at its best in Big Ten games, scoring 93 points per game with a 9-1 conference record. That bodes well for the Over - especially when you consider Maryland’s defense has been its downfall this season.

The Terrapins have been as good on offense as most years that Brenda Frese leads them to the NCAA Tournament, but this season the defense has been atrocious. Maryland is giving up 75.2 points per game, 345th in the country, and opponents are shooting 41.5% from the field and hitting 7.6 threes per game against the Terps.

Those numbers are even worse in Big Ten play, as Maryland is allowing 79.3 points per game and has surrendered 88.8 points over their last five games, winning just one of them.

Meanwhile, this Iowa offense is one of the most efficient in the country - shooting 50.8% from the floor, 37.5% from three, and hitting 10.5 threes per game - with Clark scoring 32.1 points per game herself. Yet the Hawkeyes' defense is allowing 67.8 points per game, which ranks outside the top 250, with opponents hitting 7.1 threes per game against them in mostly up-tempo contests.

Iowa’s pace of play lends to more possessions for opponents, which helps the Over, especially when the opponent shoots as well as Maryland. Led by guards Shyanne Sellers (15.4 points per game) and Bri McDaniel (12.8 points per game), Maryland ranks 21st in the country in scoring (80.1 PPG) and is shooting 45.2% from the floor, 35.9% from three, and 78.5% from the free throw line.

The extra possessions, shooting prowess, and lack of defense should help push this game Over.

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Iowa vs. Maryland best odds

bet365 (-110)

As of this writing, only three of our best sportsbooks are offering a line on the Iowa vs. Maryland matchup. This 165.5 total at bet365 is an awesome value in comparison to our other best sites, which both have a total four points higher.

While it's still a relatively high total overall, Iowa has been putting up 94.2 points per game against unranked Big Ten opponents and hasn’t scored less than 92 points in its last four conference games.

With Maryland’s offense having the shooting ability to capitalize on the pace of this game and its defense being a bottom feeder, the Over at -110 has a lot of value at this number. Neither of these defenses has been impressive in recent weeks - Iowa has allowed 82.3 points per game over its last three games.

Iowa vs. Maryland odds analysis

While not all of our best sports betting apps have a line on this game yet, both bet365 and DraftKings opened with Iowa as 10.5-point road favorites (-110) and FanDuel has the Hawkeyes at -12.5 (-114). Expect that line to continue to shift in Iowa’s favor with how well Caitlin Clark and this offense match up against Maryland.

Similarly, the game total - which opened between 165.5 and 169.5 - could continue to inflate with the Terps being such an offensive-minded squad and its defense lagging behind this season.