We have an old-school ACC showdown to close out the Saturday night slate when the Virginia Cavaliers host the Maryland Terrapins.
Both teams have been tested so far this season, as Virginia edged out Wake Forest, 31-30, last week to secure its first ACC win of the season, while Maryland fell at home to Michigan State, 27-24.
A three-hour drive separates these two campuses, so there should be plenty of fan support for this out-of-conference matchup. Here's my Maryland vs. Virginia prediction.
Maryland vs Virginia Prediction
- Maryland vs Virginia Pick: Maryland -2.5
My Maryland vs Virginia prediction is the Terrapins spread with the best line currently available at Caesars, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Maryland vs Virginia Odds
| Maryland Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -110 | 57.5 -110 / -110 | -140 |
| Virginia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -110 | 57.5 -110 / -110 | +118 |
- Maryland vs Virginia Point Spread: Maryland -2.5 (-110) · Virginia +2.5 (-110)
- Maryland vs Virginia Total: Over/Under 57.5
- Maryland vs Virginia Moneyline: Maryland -140 · Virginia +117
Maryland vs Virginia Preview
Maryland Terrapins Betting Preview: Need to Regroup
After giving up a fourth-quarter comeback to MSU, the Terps have to regroup for a big game against an improved Virginia team.
Maryland has some good offensive pieces to work with at least, notably quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. and wide receiver Tai Felton.
Edwards has already thrown for 564 yards and four touchdowns, and has also rushed for 52 yards and a score. Meanwhile, Felton leads the FBS with 330 receiving yards and has three touchdown catches.
The Terrapins have been much less effective on the ground, though. They ran for just 2.8 yards per carry against the Spartans and enter this game ranked 90th in rushing EPA per play, so they've mostly been one-dimensional so far.
Not much was learned about Maryland's defense in its Week 1 blowout win over UConn, but Michigan State was able to find plenty of holes. MSU QB Aidan Chiles torched the Terrapins for 363 yards and three touchdowns, while the Spartans also ran for 130 yards.
It would've been worse if not for Chiles throwing three interceptions, too.
The Terrapins need to correct some of those issues heading into this game because Virginia is more than capable of slicing them up.
One Maryland defender to keep an eye on is defensive back Glendon Miller, whose three picks are tied for the most in the country.
Virginia Cavaliers Betting Preview: Found Their Quarterback?
What a nice little 2-0 start for the Cavaliers. Their win over Wake Forest last week came down to the slimmest possible margin, but after consecutive three-win seasons, any and all wins are good to see.
Most promisingly, it looks like Virginia has found a quarterback. Anthony Colandrea threw for 357 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions against the Demon Deacons, and enters this game 10th in passing yards in the country.
Colandrea has a great arm and tests defenses with his deep passing. His live arm was evident last season and he's a good runner as well, so Maryland should have its hands full defending him.
Malachi Fields is his top receiver with 249 yards, and Trell Harris and Tyler Neville each have two touchdown receptions.
However, the Cavs rushed for just 2.6 yards per carry against Wake Forest, and it'll only be more challenging to run the ball against a better Maryland defensive front this week.
Virginia's defense appears to be better than last year, when it surrendered 33.8 points per game. The question is how much better?
Giving up 30 points to the Demon Deacons is suboptimal, but the Cavaliers had six sacks, so it's hard to be too critical of their performance.
It seems like the advanced stats tell the same story, since Virginia ranks a respectable 62nd in defensive EPA per play.
Maryland vs Virginia Pick & Prediction
These teams have played very similarly through two games, so that leads me to trust the more proven commodity in Maryland.
The Terrapins have a more experienced head coach in Mike Locksley (three-straight winning seasons), and have a more talented roster based on the 247 talent composite rankings.
Furthermore, there should be a good number of Maryland fans in attendance on Saturday night, so this probably won't be the harshest environment for the Terps.
Also, Maryland should have the motivational edge after a tough loss, compared to Virginia, which is coming off an exciting conference win.
I'm leaning with the Terrapins to cover in this one.
Pick: Maryland -2.5 (Play to -3)
How to Watch Maryland vs Virginia Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location
| Location: | Scott Stadium |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 14 |
| Kickoff Time: | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ACC Network |
Maryland vs Virginia Betting Trends
- 89% of the bets are on Maryland against the spread against Virginia while 56% of the money is on the same side.
- 62% of the bets are on the under while 63% of the money is on the same side.
- 79% of the bets are on Terps ML while 59% of the money is on the same side vs. Virginia.
