In this article we will formulate a Maryland vs Florida Atlantic prediction for this College Football game on Saturday, August 30th at SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this week 1 matchup.
Maryland Terrapins Betting Preview
The Maryland Terrapins went 4-8 (1-8) last year and they finished 17th in the Big Ten standings, only ahead of Purdue, who was winless in conference play. Maryland started the season with a 4-3 record, but they lost five games in a row to end the season with a bad record. The Terrapins picked up wins against UConn, Virginia, Villanova, and USC, while they lost to Michigan State, Indiana, Northwestern, Minnesota, Oregon, Rutgers, Iowa, and Penn State. Maryland scored 23.7 points per game last year, which was ranked 101st in the nation, while they allowed 30.4 points against per game, which was ranked 105th.
This season, Maryland will have a new quarterback under center and they lost quite a bit from their receiver room, so the passing game is a question mark. The Terrapins should be alright along the offensive line, but they need to stay healthy. On defense, Maryland was horrible in 2024, so there is plenty of room for improvement. Maryland has quite a few new bodies on their defensive unit, which could be a good thing, but it could also take them some time to figure things out.
Florida Atlantic Owls Betting Preview
The Florida Atlantic Owls were 3-9 (1-7) last season and they finished tied for 13th in the AAC standings with Tulsa. Florida Atlantic was 2-3 through five games, but they lost six games in a row, which really derailed the season. The Owls got wins against FIU, Wagner, and Tulsa, while they lost to Michigan State, Army, UConn, North Texas, UTSA, South Florida, East Carolina, Temple, and Charlotte. FAU scored 25.9 points per game last season, which was ranked 84th in the country, while they allowed 30.2 points against per game, which was ranked 104th.
This year, Florida Atlantic will look to build upon a decent offense from last year, which will have Caden Veltkamp under center, who previously played at Western Kentucky. The Owls lost a ton of production at receiver and running back, but the offensive line should be able to hold up. On defense, FAU will look to bounce back after a horrible 2024 season. Florida Atlantic has a bunch of transfer portal players on defense, just like Maryland, but it will be difficult to be as bad as they were last year.
Why Maryland will beat Florida Atlantic
- Maryland has won each of its last 15 games against non-conference opponents.
- Florida Atlantic has lost 22 of its last 23 road games against non-conference opponents.
- Florida Atlantic has failed to cover the spread in five of its last six games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Maryland has covered the spread in four of its last five games against non-conference opponents.
- Maryland has won the first quarter in 15 of its last 19 games against non-conference opponents at SECU Stadium.
- Florida Atlantic has lost the first half in eight of its last nine road games against non-conference opponents.
Why Florida Atlantic will beat Maryland
- Maryland has lost seven of its last eight games.
- The underdog has won three of Maryland’s last four games at SECU Stadium.
- Florida Atlantic has covered the spread in each of its last five games against opponents from the Big Ten Conference.
- Maryland has failed to cover the spread in each of its last four games as a favorite against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Maryland has lost the first half in each of its last five games against opponents from the American Conference.
Total Points Facts
- Eight of Maryland’s last nine games at SECU Stadium have gone OVER the total points line.
- Seven of Florida Atlantic’s last eight games as an underdog have gone OVER the total points line.
Maryland vs Florida Atlantic Prediction
Both of these teams come into the 2025 season looking for a bounce back performance after a rough 2024, but Maryland should pick up an easy win here. The Terrapins are still a Big Ten team and they should control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, but I think we are going to see plenty of points in this game. Both defenses were shredded last season and I don’t see them being much better to start here. Take the over in this game.