NCAAF Picks: The Maryland Terrapins have made a semi respectable showing in their first season as members of the Big Ten Conference and have been a slide under the radar betting value in road games. The Michigan Wolverines are winding down a season of bitter disappointment and regression under fourth year head coach Brady Hoke. It will be a bittersweet home finale on Saturday for a senior class that came nowhere close to living up to the hype.
The Michigan Wolverines will host the Maryland Terrapins at Michigan Stadium on Saturday with coverage on BTN starting at 3:30 PM ET. Michigan opened as a four point favorite.
Dazed and Very Blue
Michigan is 5-5 straight up, 4-6 against the spread, and 4-6 under the total. The Wolverines are coming off a bye week that followed a dreadfully boring and inept 10-9 win at Northwestern as 2 point road chalks. Quietly enough the Wolverines have won and three of their last four but got the money just twice in that span. Michigan’s offense ranks a dreadful 117th overall in the nation and 112th for scoring. The defense has been solid and ranks eighth overall nationally. Hoke needs a win in this one and next week at Ohio State if he is to keep his job. The program has slipped each year under his watch.
Terps Lack Strength
Maryland is 6-4 SU, 5-5 ATS, and 5-4-1 over the total. The Terrapins are coming off a 35-17 home loss to Michigan State in which they were manhandled and never had a chance. Maryland has no real strengths entering this game as they rank 114th overall for total offense and 95th for total defense. Maryland is 3-2 ATS on the road this year. The Maryland offense is best illustrated by the play of QB CJ Brown who has an erratic 11-9 TD-INT ratio and is the Terps leading ball carrier with just 3.2 yards per carry.
Matchup and Pick
Maryland has covered the spread in 10 out of their last 16 away games for a show of surprising board value that the public has largely ignored. Maryland has gone under the total in five out of their last eight away games.
Michigan, despite their struggles of the past two years, has remained a decent betting value at the Big House. The Wolverines have paid out in nine out of their last 14 home games. Michigan has gone over the total in just two out of their last eight games at Michigan Stadium.
We’ll call for the Maryland Terrapins top get the money in this one.
