Vegas Play of the Day: Maryland at Indiana

By Case Keefer (contact)

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015 | 1 p.m.

More than a year has passed but the South Point-lined Play of the Day is finally profitable as a collective.

Together, the three of us are up $278 from our starting $10,000 individual bankrolls. It’s not much, but it’s better than losing. Pressure is on to create some breathing room.

Maryland plus-1.5 at Indiana: $330 to win $300

Indiana has won three straight and four of five, with all but one of the victories being outright upsets. The streak has boosted the perception of the Hoosiers’ immensely.

The betting market is now overvaluing Indiana, a young team destined to show flashes because of its talent but also prone to slip back into mediocrity with careless mistakes. The Hoosiers are on the run because of offense, but the Terrapins have the defense to halt them.

Maryland is No. 16 in the nation in defensive efficiency, bringing more pressure than Indiana has seen in weeks. The only team that shot better than 50 percent from the field all year on the Terrapins was undefeated Virginia.

That’s one of their only two losses with the other coming on the road at Illinois. Maryland has plenty of offense of its own with guard Melo Trimble quietly one of the more effective freshmen in the country.

This is far and away the best team coach Mark Turgeon has put together at Maryland. The Terrapins are capable of reaching their goal to win a Big Ten title, but must win games like this to keep it a realistic proposition.

Standings: Bern (64-53-1, $12,496), Keefer (62-61-2, $10,697), Brewer (57-61-3, $7,085)

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.