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We're back with yet another betting prediction and pick for this slate of College Football action in Week 4 of the season. Next up, we'll see an FBS vs. FCS showdown as the Villanova Wildcats (3-0) take on the Maryland Terrapins (2-1, 0-1 Big Ten). It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Villanova-Maryland prediction and pick.
The Villanova Wildcats are currently first in the Coastal Athletic Association with a 1-0 conference record after beating Towson last week 14-13. They advanced to an unbeaten 3-0 on the season and they'll come into this game facing their first FBS opponent, initially billed as betting underdogs by less than three touchdowns.
The Maryland Terrapins are 2-1 on the season with their lone loss coming in Big Ten play against the Michigan State Spartans. They bounced back with a promising 27-13 win on the road in Virginia and will now have their FCS game as a tune-up before heading into the meat of their Big Ten schedule.
Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Villanova-Maryland Odds
Villanova: +17.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +810
Maryland: -17.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -1450
Over: 43.5 (-110)
Under: 43.5 (-110)
How to Watch Villanova vs. Maryland
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET/ 9:00 a.m. PT
TV: Big Ten Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Villanova Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Villanova Wildcats are once again right where they left off at the top of the CAA and they've gotten their season off to an impressive start. Winning a share of the conference championship last season and notching 10 wins, they're already well on their way to a similar campaign and would improve their hype even more if they can beat a Big Ten opponent. Senior Quarterback Connor Watkins has been very clean with four touchdowns and no interceptions thus far. He's very accurate and can march this team down the field, so expect them to be right at the top and fighting for the CAA title once again.
The Wildcats have a good amount of players who returned on the defensive side of the ball from last year, many of which earned All-Conference nods the year prior. As a unit, they've only allowed 16 points through their last two games and while teams can find success against them through the air, they do a great job of limiting touchdowns from their own Red zone. They'll need to be perfect and cause at least one turnover to make this game interesting on the road.
Why Maryland Could Cover The Spread/Win
After a wild 50-point performance against UConn, Maryland crashed back down to Earth as they lost a close game at home to Michigan State. Nevertheless, they bounced back nicely on the road in Charlottesville and took down a solid 2-0 Virginia rather-handedly. They've gotten off to slow starts in each of their last two games, but it was their defense that stepped up with multiple three-and-outs throughout the second half of the game. Look for their success to stem from their defense, particularly the secondary, as they look to keep the Villanova offense off the field.
Maryland is the much better team on paper and this should be a rather easy game for them to win. Quarterback Billy Edwards has been on fire this season with six touchdowns to one interception while completing over 71% of his passes. He's accounted for 827 yards through the air with over half of those coming to receiver Tai Felton. The duo has linked up for four touchdowns and if they can get the deep ball going early, they could see some big totals get added to their already impressive statistics through just three games.
Final Villanova-Maryland Prediction & Pick
Villanova ended last season on a huge high note and unbeaten through three games, they'll be looking to impress the national audience with a win over a Big Ten opponent. Villanova's success will hinge on QB Connor Watkins and his ability to make quick decisions from the pocket. If Villanova can hold their turnovers to none while battling in the trenches, they could find a way to keep this game close and cover the spread.
However, Maryland has shown a more consistent rush from the defensive line and I expect them to be a thorn in Villanova's passing game all day. Still, both quarterbacks are more than capable of airing it out to their talented receivers, so it's an indication that the total over may be a solid play.
For our final prediction, we'll roll with the Maryland Terrapins to win this game, but we like both teams to put up some points in this one. 43.5 seems like a low number for two high-powered offenses and we could see a duel of arms between these two quarterbacks. Let's take the over as Maryland covers.
Final Villanova-Maryland Prediction & Pick: Maryland -17.5 (-110); Over 43.5 (-110)
