There is nothing quite like some Big Ten Friday Night football. The Maryland Terrapins host the UConn Huskies to kick off their respective seasons with kickoff set for 12 p.m. ET on FS1.
The Terps are coming off a 7-5 season and now enter the post-Taulia Tagovailoa era. The Huskies, meanwhile, are coming off a 3-9 season, which was disappointing, given how the program seemed to be on the rise after 2022.
Maryland opened as a three-touchdown favorite, with a total seating of around 45 on Thursday afternoon.
Let's waste no further time: Here's a UConn vs Maryland prediction, pick, and NCAAF odds for Saturday, August 31.
UConn vs Maryland Prediction
- UConn vs. Maryland Pick & Prediction: Maryland -20
My UConn vs Maryland best bet is the Terps cover the spread with the best line currently available at FanDuel, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
UConn vs Maryland Odds
| UConn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+19 -110 | 44.5 -108o / -112u | +800 |
| Maryland Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-19 -110 | 44.5 -108o / -112u | -1350 |
- UConn vs Maryland Point Spread: UConn +19 (-110) · Maryland -19 (-110)
- UConn vs Maryland Total: Over/Under 44.5
- UConn vs Maryland Moneyline: UConn +800 · Maryland -1350
UConn vs Maryland Preview
Connecticut Huskies Betting Preview: No Chance of Backing the Huskies
The Huskies will try to begin 2024 on the right foot, but there's little promise entering the season. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Nick Evers is expected to open as the starter, and he holds only one career passing attempt.
Evers is a transfer from Oklahoma and Wisconsin, but it's easier to project how efficient he'll be with actual data. According to our Action Network projections, the Huskies are power-rated 124th nationally.
The Huskies are heavily disadvantaged against the Terps, and it starts on the defensive side of the ball. Despite Taulia Tagovailoa not returning, I still believe the Huskies are in trouble.
The Huskies ranked 125th in Success Rate Allowed last season, whereas the Terps ranked 51st. The lone bright spot was that they did an excellent job of limiting teams from reaching the end zone on most drives, ranking in the top 40 in Defensive Finishing Drives.
Besides the defensive disadvantages, the Huskies are going to struggle on offense. The Terps have an underrated defensive unit, ranking 26th in EPA per Play allowed last season.
Meanwhile, the Huskies ranked 121st in offensive EPA, so there's little reason to believe that Evers will suddenly turn everything around for the offense.
There's no chance I'll back the Huskies here, and I hesitate to take anything regarding the total due to the uncertainty of their defense.
Maryland Terrapins Betting Preview: Defense is a Strength
I like many of the Terps' aspects, but quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. may be a big reason they fail to reach expectations in 2024. Edwards needed to be more accurate in the bowl win over Auburn, completing only 6-of-20 passes for 126 yards.
The Terps rolled in the bowl game primarily because of their outstanding defense. With a massive advantage on the defensive side of the ball, that could undoubtedly be the big difference against the Huskies.
Edwards will only be asked to do a little against the Huskies, as I could see the Terps running the ball an ample amount of times. The Terps only ran the ball a little last season, but they ranked 30th nationally in Rush Explosiveness — an area where the UConn defense struggled.
The defense's strength remains in the trenches, so I wonder if the Huskies can generate any offensive rhythm on the ground. These pass rushers should have free rein to get through a weak offensive line and give Evers hell all afternoon.
Many people question Edwards' ability, which is reasonable given his brief stints of playing time over the years. But I don't think he'll need to do much here, and I expect a big performance from the Terps to kick off the 2024 season.
UConn vs Maryland Pick & Prediction
Maryland should roll here, and it'll be due to its advantages on the defensive side of the ball. I expect the Huskies to have little offensive rhythm throughout the afternoon.
I'm worried about Edwards in the long term, but not for this particular contest. He won't have to do much, as the defense should do most of the heavy lifting.
Regardless, the Huskies are a mess up and down the roster. The public is overreacting far too much to Tagovailoa's departure, and I'll happily grab the Terps under three touchdowns.
Pick: Maryland -20 (-110, DraftKings) | Play to -21 (-110)
How to Watch UConn vs Maryland Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location
| Location: | SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland |
| Date: | Saturday, Aug. 31 |
| Kickoff Time: | 12 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | FS1 |
UConn vs Maryland Betting Trends
- While 85% of the bets are on UConn, over half of the betting handle is on Maryland.
- Maryland went 7-6 against the spread last season, including 5-4 ATS as a favorite.
