Maryland vs Northwestern Picks and Prediction – 1/17/2025

The Maryland Terrapins will be visiting Welsh-Ryan Arena on Thursday, where they will face the Northwestern Wildcats. Get the rest of our free college basketball picks here! The Terrapins have put together a record of 13-4 which places them eighth in the Big Ten. Maryland has won back-to-back games, most recently defeating the Villanova Wildcats in a 77-71 victory on Monday. Derik Queen was phenomenal in this game, leading the Terrapins with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Queen has been a standout player for the Terrapins this season, he’s averaging a team-leading 16.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Maryland has been a dominant offensive team this season, scoring 84.6 points per game on 49.5% shooting from the field.

The Northwestern Wildcats come into Thursdays night’s game with a 10-6 record which paced them sixteenth in the Big Ten. Northwestern has dropped three consecutive games, as they are coming off a 78-68 loss against the sixteenth ranked Michigan State Spartans on Sunday. Nick Martinelli would score a game-high 27 points on Sunday, while Jalen Leach added 17 points and 4 assists. Northwestern has been scoring 73.7 points per game on 44.2% shooting from the field and 31.5% from three. The Wildcats have held their own on the defensive end, coming into this game with a 100.3 defensive rating. 

Maryland will be on the hunt for their third straight win, while Northwestern looks to shake off consecutive losses. Expect the two-way capabilities of the Terrapins to earn them the win in this game. Final score prediction, Maryland wins and covers 83-72.