Saturday College Basketball Best Bets: Team Totals | December 28, 2024

This Saturday brings plenty of action on the hardwood, and we have two dominant teams primed for big performances. St. John’s should have no trouble handling Delaware with their top-35 offense and elite rebounding against a weak Blue Hens defense. Meanwhile, Maryland is set to steamroll UMES, a team ranked near the bottom in defensive efficiency, and the Terrapins’ high-powered offense is ready to capitalize on every second-chance opportunity.

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Delaware vs St. John’s Best Bet

How will St. John’s perform against Delaware with a matchup at Creighton on Tuesday?

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Get ready for a marathon, as both Delaware and St. John’s play at breakneck speed, ranking inside the top 70 in pace. St. John’s boasts one of the most efficient offenses in the nation and should have no trouble scoring at Carnesecca Arena. As an inside-dominant team that relies less on three-point shooting, they rank 78th in two-point percentage and are top 12 nationally in offensive rebounding, creating ample second-chance opportunities.

Delaware, on the other hand, is ranked 8th worst in defensive rebounding and 284th offensively, making it difficult for the Blue Hens to compete on the boards. St. John’s is also 31st in turnover percentage defense, further complicating matters for Delaware. With a defense ranked 289th in adjusted efficiency, unable to force turnovers, and poor at rebounding, the Red Storm should dominate.

This will be Delaware’s toughest test of the season, with Yale, who managed to cover this number on November 24th. Despite being 103 spots behind St. John’s in tempo, the Johnnies have a far superior offense. With a matchup against Creighton looming on Tuesday, this game serves as the ideal tune-up for St. John’s to kick off conference play.

Best Bet: St. John’s Team Total Over 91.5 (-125) on BetOnline

UMES vs Maryland Best Bet

Will Maryland focus on Washington on Thursday or be ready to dominate UMES?

Keep those running shoes on; there is more action ahead.

The first heat of the 100m races is over, and now it is time for the second. The top-60 paced Maryland squad hosts UMES in this Saturday morning matchup. Maryland, a top-35 offense, faces the seventh-worst defense in the nation, according to Bart Torvik. While UMES has allowed this number only three times this season, it came against quality opponents—Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and UConn. Of the three, Vanderbilt is the quickest, sitting about 30 spots ahead of Maryland in pace.

Like the Red Storm against Delaware, Maryland should dominate offensively against this bottom-tier defense. UMES ranks in the bottom 25 in adjusted defensive efficiency, turnover percentage defense, rebounding, and two-point defense. Meanwhile, Maryland excels on the boards, ranking ninth in defensive rebounding and 72nd offensively. With UMES’s struggles in rebounding, the Terrapins should capitalize on every second-chance opportunity.

Against teams ranked in the 300s, Maryland has surpassed 94.5 points in three of four matchups, including a 111-point outing against Saint Francis. While Saint Francis plays slightly faster than UMES, their defense is not as weak.

With Maryland ranked the fifth-best home team by Haslametrics, and the Terrapins forcing UMES to run a much faster pace. This game should be complete domination by the Terrapins. Taking the number up to 100 is reasonable, but the 94.5 is a strong endorsement.