2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Colorado State vs. Maryland

Only two 12 seeds or higher advanced to the second round of the men's tournament, and one of them -- the Colorado State Rams -- was favored to win their first-round matchup against Memphis.

Still, CSU is on a shrinking list of contenders to play a potential Cinderella, but to avoid the clock striking, they'll have to dispatch a Maryland Terrapins squad that was impressive in their own right on Friday, stomping Grand Canyon by 32 points.

At 7.5 points, the Rams are one of the most distant underdogs on Sunday's docket:

To see thoughts on other games, check out our full men's college basketball tournament predictions page. But for Colorado State-Maryland, here are my favorite bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds.

Betting Picks for Colorado State vs. Maryland

Colorado State +7.5 (-115)

In terms of potential matchups for Colorado State, Maryland probably gives them their best chance given their greatest deficit: size.

The Terps play just two guys significant minutes over 6'5", which is among the reasons they rank 137th in offensive rebounding, per Bart Torvik. CSU lost the rebounding area 41-34 in their first-round matchup against the Tigers.

In every other area, the Rams are a true dark horse. They're a top-50 offense and defense with a glacial adjusted tempo (248th) that's ripe to score some upsets. Colorado State also shot the three-ball at a 36.3% clip this year (44th in the country).

Maryland just doesn't shoot threes, ranking 271st in attempts. That could trade several possessions in the underdog's favor.

The Terps are an underrated championship contender, but they've got to get through a potential scare here. The Rams just shot 36.7% from deep and advanced past the AAC champion, Memphis, by eight points. Their NBA Draft prospect, Nique Clifford, scored just 14 points in that one. This is a deep team that can play with anyone outside D1's top tier.

Derik Queen Over 9.5 Rebounds (-130)

I mentioned Maryland only has two players with size. Freshman Derik Queen is certainly the most notable.

Queen, a projected top-five pick, has to be licking his chops in this matchups after watching Memphis center Dain Dainja put up 22 points and 12 rebounds on Friday. Queen averages 12.2 rebounds per 40 minutes and had 15 boards in 33 minutes against Grand Canyon.

GCU's size profile really isn't all that different. Colorado State allows a 73.3% defensive rebounding rate, which is 273rd in the country.

I'm sort of running out of paths to failure for Queen at this mark. He played a ton in Friday's blowout, and it's unlikely the Rams are less competitive. It's a similar size matchup.

Rotowire has Queen projected for 10.3 rebounds, which would imply closer to -138 odds here if that's correct.

You can also download our FREE college basketball printable bracket.

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Which bets stand out to you for today's games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest men's college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.