The Maryland Terrapins (2-7) are hoping to put an end to a six-game losing streak as they meet the No. 14 Michigan State Spartans (8-1). The Big 10’s leading passer, Connor Cook (2,405 yards, 21 TDs), will have a major impact on this matchup. It will air Saturday, Nov 14 at 12:00 p.m. ET on ESP2.
Michigan State suffered a narrow defeat against Nebraska 39-38 last week. Aaron Burbridge had an outstanding performance in the loss, totaling 10 catches for 164 yards and one TD. Connor Cook also had a great game with 335 yards and four TDs through the air. Maryland also came up short, falling to Wisconsin 31-24. D.J. Moore had a solid performance for the Terrapins, totaling two receptions for 51 yards and one TD.
The Spartans, a 16-point favorite, will be looking to defend their home field when Maryland visits. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at 58 points.
Despite an 8-1 Straight Up (SU) record this season, the Spartans have not fared well Against The Spread (ATS) with a 2-7 record. In the past five games, Michigan State is 4-1 SU and 2-3 ATS. The Spartans passing attack has averaged 314.0 passing yards in the last five games. As for the Michigan State defense, there are important areas to keep an eye on. Maryland’s offense will need to use all of its options against the 23rd-ranked Spartans run defense, which gives up 122.6 rushing yards per game. An important aspect of the game will be if the Spartans can capitalize on Maryland’s tendency to give away the football. They currently rank 127th in the nation with 3.3 turnovers per game. Maryland could put the Spartans away early, because the Terrapins are one of the worst in the country in scoring defense for the fourth quarter. So far this year, they’ve given up an average of 9.7 fourth-quarter points. Maryland will want to stay focused this week to avoid giving the game away to the Spartans. The Terrapins are one of the most penalized teams in the nation with eight flags per game.
Across the field, the Terrapins are a good bet so far, with a respectable record of 6-3 ATS. Their SU record, 2-7, hasn’t been quite as good. The Terrapins have a good SU record over the last five games (0-5), but played better than expectations, earning a 4-1 record ATS for those betting with them. Over the last five games, the Terrapins turned it up on defense, only allowing an average of 236.6 passing yards per game. Special teams usually provides a spark for Maryland. They average the sixth-most return yards in the nation with 139.2.
Predictions: SU Winner – Michigan State, ATS Winner – Michigan State, O/U – Over
Notes
Michigan State is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games.
Michigan State is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games.
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Michigan State’s last 24 games.
Michigan State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Michigan State’s last 6 games at home.
Maryland is 2-1 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Michigan State is 7-1 SU when leading after three quarters.
Dating back to last season, Michigan State is 11-2 SU against Big 10 opponents, while Maryland is just 4-9 SU against conference foes.
The Michigan State rushing attack is ranked only 90th nationally, while the Maryland run defense is ranked 59th. The Terrapins rushing game is ranked just 58th, compared to the 23rd-ranked run defense of the Spartans.
