This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
A pair of Big Ten teams travel away from home to face opponents that are desperate for a win. Here are my predictions for a couple of notable non-conference clashes on Friday.
Maryland at 
UCLA
Maryland has won six of its last seven games, but it still has a lot to prove. The Terrapins have played an extremely easy schedule, ranking 305th in difficulty, and they lost by double digits in their only two games against competitive opponents, Villanova and Indiana. Both games were blowouts, which is bad enough, but Mayland could only muster 40 points at the former and 53 points at the latter. The Terps have played better recently against weaker teams, but this team needs a statement win against a good team. The only problem is that their opponent on Friday also desperately needs a win.
UCLA is in a precarious position, losing five of its last six games against D1 teams. The pile of losses is concerning, although four of them came against potential NCAA tournament teams in the form of Marquette, Gonzaga, Villanova, and Ohio State. The Bruins came within two points of Marquette and four points of Gonzaga, so they're still a feisty group despite the disappointing start to the season. It's hard to positively spin their recent loss to Cal State Northridge, which snapped UCLA's 29-game home winning streak, but losing in Westwood is such a rare occurrence, that it's hard to imagine it happening in back-to-back games. Still, the possibility remains.
On paper, these two teams are extremely similar. Both play lockdown defense, ranking in the top 30 of the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, and neither play great on offense, ranking slightly above the D1 average. That said, UCLA has an edge in a couple of important areas that could make a difference on Friday.
First, for what it's worth, the Bruins are slightly better at shooting. They have a higher effective field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage. Maryland, on the other hand, is terribly inefficient with shooting. The Terrapins are attempting three-pointers at a high frequency, ranking 108th in attempt rate, and yet they're making under 27 percent from behind the arc, among the worst in the country.
Second, UCLA has better rebounding stats. Maryland is normally great on the offensive glass, posting the 37th-highest offensive rebounding rate, but UCLA can neutralize this advantage with a typical effort on defense, where it ranks 78th in rebounding. Going in the other direction, UCLA is above-average in securing offensive boards, ranking 155th, but Maryland isn't so great at that end, coming in at 238th in defensive rebounding.
Given these advantages and its home-court advantage, I'm taking UCLA in this matchup. Maryland has to travel across the country to face a Bruin squad that was just embarrassed by another local team. I'm betting the Bruins will come out with extra intensity in this one.
Additionally, I'm also taking the under. Both teams strongly prefer a slower pace of play and rely on the defense to carry the team. A textbook recipe for an under if I've ever seen one.
College Basketball Best Bet: UCLA -3.5 and Under 129
Illinois vs. 
Missouri
Illinois enters Friday with an 8-2 record and a couple of solid resume-building victories, winning at Rutgers and against Florida Atlantic. Its only two losses came against elite teams, Marquette and Tennessee, so it's hard to find much fault with how it's played thus far.
Missouri, in contrast, has already lost four games, three coming against good teams, although one of them was a one-point loss to Jackson State. The latter is certainly a stain on the Tigers' record, but afterward, they went on to earn a seven-point victory at Pittsburgh, which is proving to be a quality win.
Overall, Missouri hasn't looked as consistently sharp as Illinois, but it has a couple of things going in its favor that could help it pull off an upset. One of the Tigers' strengths is their ability to cause turnovers, ranking 44th in defensive turnover percentage, and this should come into play on Friday as the Illini are committing offensive turnovers at the rate of an average D1 team. On the other end of the court, Illinois seldom generates turnovers, ranking 342nd on defense in that category, while Missouri is careful on offense, ranking 118th in offensive turnover percentage. Based on this advantage, there's a good chance that the Tigers will win the turnover battle.
The other factor going in Missouri's favor is its shooting ability. The Tigers are making over 36 percent from behind the arc while attempting at an extremely high rate, yielding the 26th-highest percentage of points off three-pointers in the nation. Teams that live by the three can sometimes die by the three, but when you're an underdog like the Tigers, having great shooters in your lineup is an important asset.
Last year, these two teams played on the same date in the same location, and Missouri demolished Illinois by a score of 93-71. These teams have a few new faces but both rank above the D1 average in roster continuity, so I like our odds of seeing another great performance from Missouri in this matchup. It's always possible the Tigers' three-pointers won't fall through the net, but all things considered, I'm taking the points with Missouri.
College Basketball Best Bet: Missouri +6.5
Friday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Friday:
- UCLA -3.5
- Maryland at UCLA - Under 129
- Missouri +6.5
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball betting odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the college basketball odds page on RotoWire.
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