Sweet 16 – Maryland vs. Florida Spread Pick & Prediction – Thursday, March 27, 2025

The fourth-seed Maryland Terrapins (27-8) take on the top-seed Florida Gators (32-4) in the Sweet 16 of the West Region on Thursday, March 27 at 7:39 PM ET at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California. MyBookie offers the Gators as favorites with a point spread at -6.5 (-110).

Maryland Terrapins Betting Preview

The Terrapins have won their last two games and are 4-1 over their last five. They are coming off a 72-71 performance over the Colorado State Rams in the Second Round of the West Region of the tournament.

Derik Queen was the hero who hit the buzzer-beater and sent the Rams home. The Rams had a 37-30 lead at the half, but could not hold onto it as the Terrapins had a strong run in the second. Queen led with 17 points on 58.3 percent shooting.

Maryland shot 41.9 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from three point range. Their defense allowed the Rams to make 46.8 percent of their shots but held them to 23.8 percent from beyond the arc. This was arguably the difference in the game, as both sides stacked up similarly on paper.

The Terrapins have averaged 81.4 points a game and rank 24th in the nation while allowing 66.6 points from opponents, ranking 40th. So far in this tournament, they have averaged 76.5 points and have given up 60.0.

Florida Gators Betting Preview

The Gators have now won their last eight games, with two of them against quality teams that are still in the tournament (Alabama and Tennessee). Their recent win was a 77-75 outing over the UConn Huskies in the Second Round.

This matchup had plenty of lead changes and small leads by both teams. Florida did not obtain the lead again until late in the second half with roughly three minutes remaining. Walter Clayton Jr. led with 23 points on 42.8 percent shooting.

Florida made 46.0 percent of their shots and 47.4 percent from deep. UConn made one shot more overall and one shot less from deep, but took more shots from long range (had lower shooting percentages overall) which hurt their chances at winning. Efficiency was key here, as the Huskies arguably should have won this game.

The Gators have put up 85.4 points a game (ranked third) and have allowed 69.4 points (ranked 90th) from opposing teams per matchup. So far in the tournament, they have averaged 86.0 points and have held opponents to 72.0 points a game.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie offers the best Maryland Terrapins vs. Florida Gators betting odds, which show the Gators as 6.5-point favorites. Market predictions have the Gators winning with a 61.6 percent chance of success. 

Maryland had a sloppy game while the Gators nearly met their match. The Gators should perform better this time around and cover the spread.

Final Pick: Florida Gators -6.5 (-110)