Maryland is on top of the world after their upset victory in Week 8 but faces another team on a hot streak in Minnesota. The Golden Gophers enter this matchup on a two-game win streak, but both teams have identical 4-3 records. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Maryland-Minnesota prediction and pick.
Maryland hasn't had much to celebrate this season as they sit near the bottom of the Big Ten standings with three consecutive conference losses; however, that changed last week when they upset USC at home as seven-point underdogs to get their first conference victory. USC hasn't been successful this season, but a win over a big-name program is massive for the school. They've lost to Michigan State, Indiana, and Northwestern this season but are undefeated in non-conference play.
Minnesota has won back-to-back games over the newest members of the Big Ten. Two weeks ago, Minnesota defeated USC at home as big underdogs, but they followed that up with a win on the road against UCLA last week. They started the conference schedule with back-to-back losses against Iowa and Michigan but are back on track after sweeping California. The Golden Gophers still sit 12th in the conference but could get back in the mix with another win at home.
Here are the Maryland-Minnesota College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Maryland-Minnesota Odds
Maryland: +4.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +155
Minnesota: -4.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -188
Over: 46.5 (-110)
Under: 46.5 (-110)
How to Watch Maryland vs. Minnesota
Time: 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT
TV: Fox Sports 1
Article Continues BelowStream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Maryland Could Cover The Spread/Win
Maryland hasn't been great at covering spreads this season, but two of their four wins give us an exciting trend. The Terrapins were seven-point underdogs to USC and three-point underdogs to Virginia, but they won both games outright. Maryland has been disappointing this year, but their ability to pull off upset victories puts them on our radar again in this game.
Minnesota's defense will need to win them this game, as their offense has been abysmal. They rank 116th in the country in yards per game and 105th in yards per play. Minnesota has a slight edge with their passing since Maryland is terrible at defending offense through the air, but it might not be enough to help them run away with the game.
Why Minnesota Could Cover The Spread/Win
Minnesota has been performing better than the oddsmakers give it credit for this season. Its 5-1-1 against-the-spread record makes it one of the most profitable teams to bet on in the nation. Their lone poor performance this season was a 17-point loss to Iowa at home, where they were just three-point underdogs. Maryland failed to cover in three of their last four games.
Minnesota's defense will be ready to slow Maryland's aerial attack. Maryland is tenth in the nation with 313.3 passing yards per game, but Minnesota is fourth defensively, allowing just 139.6. Maryland's rushing attack has been non-existent, and Minnesota has also been performing well at defending the ground.
Final Maryland-Minnesota Prediction & Pick
Maryland is riding high after their victory over USC and has a matchup with No. 1 Oregon on the horizon. It feels like a perfect spot where Minnesota catches them off guard here and runs away with the game at home. Minnesota's defense should shut down Maryland in this game and cover the four-point spread.
Final Maryland-Minnesota Prediction & Pick: Minnesota -4.5 (-105)