The Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Maryland Terrapins will square off on the turf of Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Kickoff for this game is set for 12:00 p.m. ET and fans can watch the action on BTN.
Betting Preview: Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Maryland Terrapins
Rutgers is a heavy road dog here and is currently getting 24 points by oddsmakers. Vegas has not determined this game’s over/under (O/U) yet. There might be some decent live betting opportunities in this match.
The line opened at -23, but has recently shifted.
The Scarlet Knights have lost 3.1 units so far and are 2-4 against the spread (ATS). The team has posted an O/U record of 3-3.
The Terrapins are down 5.5 units this season. The team is 3-2 ATS and has an O/U record of 3-2.
The Scarlet Knights have gone 1-5 straight up (SU), including 0-3 SU against conference opponents. The Terrapins are 3-2 SU overall and 1-1 SU in conference play.
The Scarlet Knights lost to Illinois 38-17 in a thumping where the passing game wasn’t where it needed to be as Artur Sitkowski completed 29 passes for 267 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Raheem Blackshear (only 34 rushing yards on 15 attempts) and Jonathan Hilliman (76 yards on 10 carries, one TD) provided the ground attack while Bo Melton (six receptions, 70 yards) and Blackshear (six catches, 44 yards) shared the receiving duties in the defeat.
Maryland just fell 42-21 to Michigan. The defense allowed the Wolverines to run for 171 yards on 40 rush attempts, along with one rushing TD. Zach Gentry had a productive outing, recording 112 yards and a score on seven catches for Michigan. For Maryland, Kasim Hill completed five-of-10 passes for 62 yards and one interception. Tayon Fleet-Davis (63 yards on 11 rush attempts) handled the running game as DJ Turner (two receptions, 30 yards) and Fleet-Davis (one catch, 19 yards) led the receiving attack in the loss.
Rutgers has run the ball on 48.9 percent of its offensive plays this year, including 42.9 percent across possessions in conference play. Maryland has a rush percentage of 67.5 percent, and has carried the ball 73.3 percent of the time when facing Big 10 opponents. The Scarlet Knights have run for 128.3 yards per game (including 95.3 per game against Big Ten opponents) and have seven touchdowns on the ground this year. The Terps are totaling 236.2 rushing yards per game (231.0 in conference) and have 13 total rush TDs.
If 2018 results can translate to this game, then it appears the Terps may hold an advantage when it comes to RB efficiency, as their backfield has produced 5.8 yards per carry while the defense is allowing a YPC of 3.0 to opponents. The Scarlet Knights have registered 3.8 yards per carry while allowing 5.7 yards per rush attempt to opponents.
The Scarlet Knights offense has averaged 170.3 yards in the air overall (175.0 per game against conference opposition) and has three passing scores so far. The Terps have recorded 127.6 pass yards per contest (95 in the Big 10) and have four total pass TDs.
On the defensive side of the ball, Rutgers appears to have the upper hand when it comes to limiting the pass. The team has allowed 229.0 rush yards and 205.5 pass yards per game. The Maryland defense has allowed 226.6 yards per game to opposing passers and 117.4 yards per game on the ground. The Terps are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 5.72 to opposing QBs, while the Scarlet Knights have allowed a 6.86 ANY/A.
Offensively, Sitkowski has put up 596 passing yards on the year, and has connected on 54 percent of his 126 attempts with two scores through the air and 10 interceptions. Sitkowski has a 1.22 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number is 3.29 over the last two games.
The Scarlet Knights have tried to control the clock by feeding their running backs early and often. Backfield mates Raheem Blackshear (298 rush yards, two rush TDs, 120 receiving yards, one receiving TD) and Jonathan Hilliman (246 rush yards, four rush TDs, 52 receiving yards) have really been focal points in the Rutgers offensive scheme.
Kasim Hill has completed 37-of-72 passes for 461 yards, two TDs and two INTs for Maryland. His ANY/A sits at 4.78 for the season and 5.26 across his last two games.
The Terps will also try to dictate the game’s pace by turning to their backfield. Anthony McFarland (213 rush yards), Ty Johnson (180 rush yards, one rush TD) and Tayon Fleet-Davis (196 rush yards, three rush TDs) have seen a multitude of touches lately.
These two schools faced off last year with the final outcome being a 31-24 win for Rutgers.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Maryland Terrapins NCAA Prediction
SU Winner: Maryland, ATS Winner: Rutgers
Team Betting Trends
- The Maryland offense has lost one fumble this season while Rutgers has lost four.
- The Maryland D has sacked opposing quarterbacks 10 times this year. Rutgers has produced eight sacks.
- As a team, Rutgers has produced 3.65934065934066 yards per carry over its last three contests and 4.1 over its last two.
- Maryland has averaged 5.7 yards per carry over its last three matchups and 6.2 over its last two.
- Over its last three contests, Maryland is 1-2 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
- Rutgers was the underdog by 5 points in its last game and the Over/Under going into it was 51. The over cashed and Rutgers failed to cover in the 38-17 defeat to Illinois.
- In its last three contests, Rutgers is 1-2 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
- Maryland was favored by 18 points in its last matchup and the O/U was set at 44.5. The over cashed and Maryland failed to cover in the team’s 42-21 defeat to Michigan.
