RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 23: Thomas Haugh #10 of the Florida Gators looks on in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament against the Connecticut Huskies at Lenovo Center on March 23, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Riding an eight-game win streak, top-seeded Florida faces fourth-seeded Maryland in Thursday's Sweet 16 showdown at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Tipoff is set for 7:39 p.m. ET.
The Gators (32-4) bring one of the nation's most efficient and potent offenses, averaging 85.4 points per game on 47.3% shooting. Walter Clayton Jr. leads the charge with 17.9 points per game, earning first-team All-American honors as one of the country's leading guards.
Maryland (27-8) counters with a stifling defense, holding opponents to 66.6 points per game. The Terrapins also boast a reliable deep threat, shooting 37.5% from beyond the arc. Freshman standout Derik Queen has been a force inside, posting 16.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
Florida's offensive firepower, which features guards Alijah Martin, Will Richard, and Clayton all averaging more than 13 points per game, will be tested against a Maryland squad that thrives on defensive pressure.
The Gators have outscored opponents by an average of 16 points during their winning streak, but the Terrapins held their first two tournament opponents under 70. Maryland also has momentum after Derik Queen's game-winning shot against Colorado State, while Florida survived a hotly contested matchup against UConn.
Spread
- Maryland +6.5 (-110)
- Florida -6.5 (-110)
Moneyline
- Maryland +220
- Florida -275
Total
- OVER 156.5 (-105)
- UNDER 156.5 (-114)
*The above data was collected on March 26, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Maryland vs. Florida Betting Trends
- Florida is 17-8 against the spread when favored by 6.5 points or more this season.
- The OVER is 9-0 in Florida's last nine games.
- The UNDER is 6-2 in Maryland's last eight games.
- Florida has gone 26-10-0 against the spread this season, while Maryland is 18-16-0.
- Maryland is 1-1 against the spread in the NCAA Tournament and 6-4 in their last 10 games.
- Maryland has hit the moneyline in 25 of their last 33 games.
Maryland vs. Florida Injury Reports
Maryland
- Jahari Long, G - Questionable (knee)
- Braden Pierce, C - Out (eye)
Florida
- Sam Alexis, F - Questionable (undisclosed)
Maryland vs. Florida Predictions and Picks
"The Gators look like the eventual national champions, right? Getting past two-time defending champ UConn during the first weekend's best game was a momentum-booster for Florida and now, Todd Golden's squad is a favorite against the Terrapins with a spot in the Elite Eight up for grabs. The path to a Final Four berth is clear and there's not a team in the tournament with more dominant guard play than the Gators at the moment." — Brad Crawford, 247Sports
"Florida ranks 11th nationally in defensive efficiency, but it had lots of trouble maintaining its integrity against UConn's layered, off-ball actions. There were busted switches galore in the Round of 32. Those breakdowns will get you beat in the Sweet 16. Thankfully for the Gators, Maryland doesn't run quite as intricate of an offensive scheme.... Maryland's personnel is better than UConn's, but this scheme is more straightforward and a tad easier to guard." — Isaac Trotter, CBS Sports
"The Gators' three-headed guard monster is going to do plenty of damage on the offensive end as usual, but the story of this game will be whether Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, and Thomas Haugh can slow down Derik Queen and Julian Reese on the inside." — Joel Reuter, Bleacher Report
