Maryland vs. South Carolina Prediction, Odds, Key Players to Watch for NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the Maryland-South Carolina matchup in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Maryland is an underdog in the Sweet 16. / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Maryland Terrapins erased a nine-point fourth quarter deficit in the Round of 32 to knock off the Alabama Crimson Tide and advanced to the Sweet 16. 

However, it took more than just a fourth quarter, as the Terrapins needed not one, but two overtimes to eventually extinguish Alabama.

Now, the Terrapins have a tough matchup in the Sweet 16 with No. 1 South Carolina, which lost just three games in the regular season and is favored by 17.5 points in this matchup. 

The Gamecocks, led by head coach Dawn Staley, won by 60 points in the first round, but they played a much closer game against Indiana in the Round of 32, winning 64-53.

Can they cover this massive spread on Friday?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction for this Sweet 16 matchup.

Maryland vs. South Carolina Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Spread

• Maryland +17.5 (-110)
• South Carolina -17.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Maryland: +1120
• South Carolina: -3000

Total

• 150.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Maryland vs. South Carolina How to Watch

• Date: Friday, March 28
• Time: 5:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Legacy Arena at BJCC
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN
• Maryland record: 25-7
• South Carolina record: 32-3

Maryland vs. South Carolina Key Players to Watch

Maryland

Shyanne Sellers: In the double overtime win over Alabama, Sellers was fantastic, scoring 28 points to lead the Terps to a win. The senior guard is Maryland’s second-leading scorer (14.5 points per game) and leads the team with 4.1 assists per game. Sellers is also shooting over 41 percent from downtown this season, making her an extremely tough matchup for any team. 

South Carolina

Te-Hina Paopao: This South Carolina team doesn’t have a single star that it relies on night to night, but senior guard Te-Hina Paopao is going to be huge the rest of this tournament. Having a veteran that has been with the program – including during last year’s title run – is huge, and Paopao does it all for Dawn Staley’s squad. This season, she's averaging 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while also picking up over one steal per night.

Maryland vs. South Carolina Prediction and Pick

Maryland needed double overtime to reach the Sweet 16, but let’s not look past South Carolina’s 11-point win over a much lesser Indiana team in the Round of 32.

With Ashlyn Watkins going down for the season early in the 2024-25 campaign, South Carolina isn’t as dominant as it was last season, and simply put, the Gamecock don’t exactly have a single player that takes over games on a night to night basis.

Yes, the Gamecocks are a top 15 team in the country scoring the ball, but they don’t shoot the 3-ball well (averaging just 5.9 makes per game, 209th in the country) and they rely on an elite defense (fifth in field goal percentage defense) to carry them to wins.

That won’t be easy against a Maryland team that actually averages more points per game than the Gamecocks this season and is top 25 in the country in 3-point percentage.

While I don’t think Maryland pulls off the upset here, it has the guard talent with Sellers and Kaylene Smikle to hang around in this game. After watching Indiana keep things close with Dawn Staley’s group, 17.5 points feels like way too many to give this feisty Maryland squad. 

Pick: Maryland +17.5 (-110 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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