The looks like a potential shootout as the University of Maryland Terrapins (2-1) play the West Virginia University Mountaineers (2-0). This game will feature the nation’s fifth-leading receiver, Shelton Gibson (211 yards, 2 TDs). It will begin Saturday, Sep 26 at 11:00 a.m. ET and can be seen on FS1.
West Virginia cruised past Liberty 41-17 in their last game. Skyler Howard had an outstanding performance passing the ball in the win, completing 21 of 26 passes for 263 yards and three TDs. He did some damage on the ground, running for 68 yards on 12 attempts. Shelton Gibson also had a big game with 81 yards and a TD on three receptions. Maryland managed to get the win as well, beating South Florida 35-17 in its matchup. Avery Edwards had a solid outing for the Terrapins, totaling three receptions for 36 yards and two TDs. Levern Jacobs had a big game as well, totaling 107 yards on eight receptions.
The Mountaineers, a 16-point favorite, will be looking to defend their home field when Maryland visits. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is unavailable at the moment.
Heading into Week 4 of the college football season, the Mountaineers are 2-0 Straight Up (SU) and 1-1 Against The Spread (ATS). West Virginia have America’s 15th-ranked passing attack, averaging 336 yards per game. As for the West Virginia defense, there are important areas to keep an eye on. The Mountaineers have the 24th-best pass defense in the nation and give up 154.5 yards per game through the air. One of the keys to the game will be if the Terrapins can protect the ball against the ambitious defense of the Mountaineers, who rank 18th in the nation with 2.5 turnovers per game. If the game is close, the Mountaineers may have an edge. Maryland usually finishes games poorly, giving up 11.7 points per game in the fourth quarter. Mistakes and a lack of focus may be factors that benefit the Mountaineers in the game. The Terrapins are one of the most penalized teams in the nation with 72 penalty yards per game.
Across the field, the Terrapins have 2-1 SU and ATS records this season. Maryland could plan on tossing the ball frequently. The Mountaineers defense is usually ineffective at containing the pass, giving up 13.4 yards per pass. Shifting to the other side of the ball, the Maryland defense can dominate if they take advantage of some favorable matchups. When Maryland’s defensive front gets going, they are basically unstoppable. This year, the Terrapins average 4.7 sacks per game, good enough for second in the country. Special teams usually provides a spark for Maryland. They average the most return yards in the nation with 185.
Predictions: SU Winner – WVU, ATS Winner – WVU
Notes
West Virginia is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of West Virginia’s last 11 games.
West Virginia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of West Virginia’s last 5 games at home.
West Virginia is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Maryland.
West Virginia is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Maryland.
Each team is 2-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
The West Virginia rushing attack is ranked 73rd in the country, while the Maryland run defense is only ranked 77th. The Terrapins running game is ranked 50th, compared to the 56th-ranked rush defense of the Mountaineers.
