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South Carolina vs. Maryland Prediction
Pictured: South Carolina Gamecocks forward Joyce Edwards drives past Duke Blue Devils forward Jordan Wood in the first half. Photo by Jeff Blake / Imagn.

The No. 1 seed South Carolina Gamecocks (32-3) meet the No. 4 seed Maryland Terrapins (25-7) in the women's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 today. Tipoff from Legacy Arena at BJCC in Birmingham, Ala., is at 5 p.m. ET (ESPN).

The Gamecocks are 17.5-point betting favorites to advance in the Birmingham 2 Region of the women's March Madness bracket, and we discuss their season-long dominance in our South Carolina vs. Maryland prediction, odds, and preview as part of our women's March Madness best bets.

🏀 South Carolina vs. Maryland prediction & picks today

Here are my best South Carolina vs. Maryland predictions for the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament; use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay:

✅ Against the spread pick: South Carolina -17.5 (-110 via DraftKings) vs. Maryland ⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Best player prop bet: Joyce Edwards Over 14.5 points (-106 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Exact score prediction: South Carolina 91, Maryland 69 (+18000 via DraftKings)

👉 Want more March Madness action? Check out the rest of our college basketball picks for both the men's and women's NCAA tournament.

🏆 Best South Carolina vs. Maryland pick, player prop bet & score prediction

Our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool can help you find the best odds for any March Madness market across legal sportsbooks in your area!

✅ South Carolina to cover the spread: -17.5 ⭐⭐⭐

The Gamecocks are the largest favorites of the Sweet 16, despite defeating the Indiana Hoosiers by just 11 in the Round of 32. It was their smallest margin of victory since Jan. 27. Is that game a sign of things to come, or is it simply an outlier in what has been an incredible season? I think it’s the latter.

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Meanwhile, the Terrapins needed double overtime to survive the Alabama Crimson Tide after trailing by as many as 17 in the Round of 32. While the comeback was impressive, the Terrapins can’t afford to fall behind by that much against the Gamecocks. If they do, this game will be over before halftime.

This is a big spread for a Sweet 16 matchup, but the Gamecocks get the nod in this one. Four of their last five wins have been by at least 18 points. Maryland was resilient in the Round of 32, but it was also close to getting blown out. And considering the Terps' final game before the NCAA Tournament was a 98-71 blowout loss to the Michigan Wolverines, their magical run will end here convincingly.

However, Maryland is the most bet team to cover the spread during the Sweet 16 at BetMGM.

📊 Best odds: -110 via DraftKings ($10 to win $9.09)

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🔥 Joyce Edwards Over 14.5 points ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Gamecocks and Terrapins love to score, as they’re averaging over 80 points per game. The difference between the two teams is that the Gamecocks play defense and the Terrapins don’t. Maryland ranks 298th in points allowed per game, giving up 70.5 per contest. That’s great news for South Carolina's leading scorer.

Edwards scored just 5 points against the Hoosiers, but she’s still averaging 13.2 points per game. She has scored at least 20 in two of her last four games, and she’s managed at least 17 in six of her last 11. 

While Edwards has disappeared from time to time this season, this is a phenomenal matchup for every Gamecocks’ offensive player. And while the total is set 1.3 points higher than her season average, the price for the Over is very favorable at -106.

📊 Best odds: -106 via FanDuel ($10 to win $9.43)

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🎯 Score prediction: South Carolina 91, Maryland 69

The Terrapins are a team that likes to outscore their opponents, but that strategy will prove wholly ineffective against the Gamecocks. The Gamecocks are just as good as the Terrapins offensively, and they’re significantly better defensively, which is why this will be a blowout.

The Terrapins have allowed at least 90 points in three of their last four games, and the Gamecocks will be the fourth team in five games to top that number against them. And while the Terrapins will score in bunches throughout the game, they’ll ultimately fall well short of their season average.

📊 Best odds: +18000 via DraftKings ($10 to win $1,800)

🤖 South Carolina vs. Maryland AI prediction

For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze historical trends and live NCAA Tournament stats before predicting the winner and exact score for South Carolina vs. Maryland. Our AI prediction projects a final score of South Carolina 78, Maryland 70.

🖥️ AI score prediction: South Carolina 78, Maryland 70

  • In their last eight matchups against South Carolina, the Terrapins hold a 2-6 record.
  • Despite their dominance, the Gamecocks faced a challenge in the Round of 32 against Indiana, indicating potential vulnerabilities.
  • The Terrapins have impressed in the tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 with victories that showcased their resilience and skill.

🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean Maryland covering the spread (+17.5) and a total of Under 150.5 points. ChatGPT is not a dedicated sports betting model, but it can identify data that March Madness bettors might overlook.

📊 Live South Carolina vs. Maryland odds

Follow the latest women's March Madness odds for the NCAA Tournament.

🔢 South Carolina vs. Maryland opening odds

  • Spread: South Carolina -17.5 (-110) | Maryland +17.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: South Carolina -2400 | Maryland +1200
  • Over/Under: Over 150.5 (-110) | Under 150.5 (-110)

South Carolina vs. Maryland line movement

All South Carolina vs. Maryland line movement via BetMGM.

Spread

There hasn't been much movement on the spread, with South Carolina still sitting as the dominant -17.5 favorite.

Total

Similarly, the total widely sits where it started while staying stagnant at 150.5.

Moneyline

There's been slight moneyline movement since the opening number, with Maryland's odds getting a little bit longer while moving to +1250. As John Ewing of BetMGM notes, that's been enticing for many bettors.

📺 How to watch South Carolina vs. Maryland: Women's Sweet 16

📅 Date: Friday, March 28
🕗 Time: 5 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Legacy Arena at BJCC (Birmingham, Ala.)
📺 TV: ESPN
💻 Streaming: March Madness Live

🆚 Sweet 16 game predictions

💰 March Madness betting odds pages

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