Michigan Basketball: 3 predictions for Wolverines against Maryland

Winning at the 3-point line means winning the game

Statistics always seems to tell the story in basketball. It’s a game of numbers and equations and a key part to a winning equation for Michigan basketball and Maryland Saturday is going to be who wins at the 3-point line.

While the Terps have been a good deep shooting team all season long, they have been particularly good in Big Ten play, as they have shot 38.7 percent in conference play, which is the best in the Big Ten. Also, when it comes to defending the 3-point shot, Maryland has also been effective, limiting teams to just 30.7 percent.

Improved 3-point shooting has helped Maryland surge as of late but so has its defense, which is allowing 63 points a game in conference play (3rd in Big Ten). For its part, Michigan is the eighth-best perimeter shooting team and fifth in defending the three holding opponents to just 31.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Over the last five games, when Maryland has been the better shooting team from deep it has won, if not, then Maryland has lost. And if the Terps want to pull the upset, they will need to have an edge beyond the arc.