The Maryland Terrapins take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, N.J., on Saturday, Nov. 8. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. EST on FS1.
Rutgers is favored by 2.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -140. Maryland, meanwhile, enters as a +2.5 underdog and is +120 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 58 total points.
Here’s my Maryland vs. Rutgers prediction and college football picks for Saturday, November 8.
Maryland vs Rutgers Prediction
- Maryland vs. Rutgers Pick: Rutgers Team Total Under 29.5
My Rutgers vs. Maryland best bet is on the Scarlet Knights to go under their team total. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Maryland vs Rutgers Odds
| Maryland Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -110 | 58 -110o / -110u | +120 |
| Rutgers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -110 | 58 -110o / -110u | -140 |
- Maryland vs Rutgers Spread: Maryland +2.5, Rutgers -2.5
- Maryland vs Rutgers Over/Under: 58 Points
- Maryland vs Rutgers Moneyline: Maryland +120, Rutgers -140
Maryland vs Rutgers College Football Betting Preview
Maryland Terrapins Betting Preview: From Hot Start to Harsh Reality
Never change, Maryland.
Another hot September saw Maryland start 4-0 and looking formidable. But once the calendar flipped to October, the Terps dropped their next four games, some by slim margins to good teams (Washington, Nebraska).
This four-game slide brings Maryland to a staggering 12-25 straight up (.324) after September.
The legend of the September Terps continues.
This year, Maryland built the whole offensive plane out of Malik Washington. Only four teams drop back to pass more frequently than Maryland (62.2%!), and it's clear to see why.
Few teams are as bad at running the ball as the Terps, both in terms of offensive line push and EPA (129th).
So, while the young Washington offers playmaking potential and stretches the field vertically, it hasn't been a game-breaking formula. Maryland ranks 99th in Points Per Drive and 123rd in Offensive Success Rate.
Fortunately for Maryland, it fields a strong defense.
That defense was crushed by Indiana (55 points), but five opponents were held to 20 or fewer points. It ranks in the top 15 in Points Per Drive allowed, thanks to an aggressive but disciplined second level.
Bowling Green transfer Jalen Huskey is one of the best run-defending safeties in the Big Ten with 17 run stops, and linebacker Daniel Wingate is on his way to All-Big Ten looks.
Up front, Maryland is vulnerable. Better lines like Washington and Indiana pushed the Terrapins' defensive front around, and the Hoosiers abused them to the tune of 367 rushing yards.
The other problem is the Terps' inability to play four quarters of football. Seen in most close games (see: Washington), Maryland fully collapsed in the fourth quarter to give games away.
The final stretch of the year is kinder than years past, but it does include conference heavy hitters in Michigan and Illinois.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Betting Preview: Seeking Consistency on Both Sides
It's been tough sledding for Rutgers in Big Ten play. The Scarlet Knights are 1-5 with a -97 point margin, and that one win came against 2-7 Purdue.
Rutgers has played just one home game since Sept. 20, a 56-10 blowout at the hands of Oregon. It returns home after playing at Washington, Purdue and Illinois in the last four weeks for one more game before heading on bye.
Unfortunately for the Knights, a regressed offense can't keep up with one of the country's most generous defenses.
Rutgers ranks 133rd in Points Per Drive allowed and 135th in Success Rate allowed, but the offense ranks only 52nd in Points Per Drive scored.
Miami (OH) is the only FBS team Rutgers held to below its season average in scoring.
The defensive front generates some push in the run game, and that's about all of the positives.
The secondary is likely the Big Ten's worst, allowing some of the most EPA Per Pass and yards per dropback in the entire country. This was signaled right out of the gate, as Rutgers allowed 239 yards and a trio of scores from Ohio in Week 1.
Losing Joe Harasymiak was a blow to this defense. Plenty of the problems come from a lack of elite talent at any position, but schematically, the defense is vanilla and beatable. Unlike 2024, the offense isn't potent enough to paper over that issue.
Red-zone inefficiencies are a key culprit for the offensive woes.
QB Athan Kaliakmanis posted career-bests in completion rate and yards per attempt through 10 weeks, and the trio of Ian Strong, KJ Duff, and DT Sheffield is solid when healthy.
But the Scarlet Knights have come up short in goal-to-go situations, often negating the cumulative offensive success.
Against Big Ten competition, Rutgers has yet to break 30, and it's been held under 20 in four of its last five games (all losses).
This week's injury report features some notable offensive players. Tackle Taj White and tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr. are both listed as questionable midweek.
Maryland vs Rutgers Pick, Betting Analysis
Rutgers has an ugly history of playing Maryland. It lost 5-of-6 meetings by an average of 29.4 points per game before breaking that run last year. Rutgers hasn't beaten Maryland at home since 2017.
And thus, we're presented with a real quandary — back post-September Maryland or back a Rutgers team that, frankly, isn't very good.
There has been action on both sides, and as late as Thursday, you could buy both teams at +1.5.
Instead of truly rolling the dice on post-September Maryland or risk pulling a bad number on either point spread, I'm looking to tangential markets.
Maryland's defense is pretty solid (that is, when it's not playing Curt Cignetti and Indiana). That 55-point barrage last week stunted the team total market, especially for a Scarlet Knights team that hasn't scored 30 against a Big Ten foe yet.
Thanks to a lofty total of 58.5 and a teetering point spread, Rutgers has been spotted way too many points (29.5). That's not a mark I believe it hits Saturday.
I'm not taking under the total because the Rutgers defense is horrific. There are a lot of possible outcomes, and a Maryland runaway game is certainly one of them.
This is a buy-low spot for the Terps defense. I just don't think Rutgers' offense gets it done, especially with its red-zone inefficiencies.
Pick: Rutgers Team Total Under 29.5 (Play to 28.5)
Maryland vs Rutgers Betting Trends
