The Virginia Cavaliers and Maryland Terrapins meet Friday in week 3 college football action at SECU Stadium. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.
Virginia Cavaliers Betting Preview
The Virginia Cavaliers look to rebound after starting the season with losses to Tennessee and James Madison. Virginia hasn’t started a season 0-3 since 2016 when it opened the year with losses to Richmond, Oregon and UCONN. Anthony Colandrea is completing 66.7 percent of his passes for 389 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Malik Washington and Malachi Fields have combined for 285 receiving yards and 1 touchdown, while Kobe Pace has 1 reception. The Virginia Cavaliers ground game is averaging 56.5 yards per contest, and Perris Jones leads the way with 50 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensively, Virginia is allowing 42.5 points and 447 yards per game. Jonas Sanker leads the Virginia Cavaliers with 19 tackles, Olasunkonmi Agunloye has 1 sack and Coen King has 2 pass deflections.
Virginia Cavaliers Team Facts
- Virginia has lost eight of its last nine games.
- Virginia has failed to cover the spread in six of its last seven games against non-conference opponents.
- Virginia has lost the first half in four of its last five games against opponents from the Big Ten Conference.
- Eight of Virginia’s last nine September games against non-AP-ranked teams have gone UNDER the total points line.
Maryland Terrapins Betting Preview
The Maryland Terrapins look for another win after beating up on Towson and Charlotte to start the season. Maryland looks to start 3-0 for a third straight season. Taulia Tagovailoa is completing 68.1 percent of his passes for 547 yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Corey Dyches and Jeshaun Jones have combined for 241 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns, while Kaden Prather has 6 receptions. The Maryland Terrapins ground game is averaging 204.5 yards per contest, and Roman Hemby leads the way with 220 yards and 2 touchdowns. Defensively, Maryland is allowing 13 points and 295 yards per game. Beau Brade leads the Maryland Terrapins with 13 tackles, Jaishawn Barham has 2 sacks and Michael Harris has 1 pass deflection.
Maryland Terrapins Team Facts
- Maryland has won each of its last 10 games against non-conference opponents.
- Maryland has failed to cover the spread in six of its last seven games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Maryland has won the first quarter in 13 of its last 16 games against non-conference opponents at SECU Stadium.
- Maryland has won the first half in five of its last six games against opponents from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
- Six of Maryland’s last seven home games against opponents from the Atlantic Coast Conference have gone OVER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- Maryland ranked 4th among FBS teams for Q3 points allowed per game last season (2.5).
- Maryland ranked 13th among FBS teams for H2 points allowed per game last season (8.9).
- Virginia ranked 9th among FBS teams for Q4 points allowed per game last season (4.3).
- Virginia ranked 16th among FBS teams for H2 points allowed per game last season (9.4).
Randy’s Pick
The Virginia Cavaliers haven’t been able to do anything productive on either side of the field. The offense has been atrocious, and the defense has probably been even worse. An argument can be made that Virginia is the worst team in a power five conference through 2 games. It’s been awful at both ends of the field. Maryland has a top-40 offense in the country through two games, and the defense has been respectful outside of getting gashed at times on the ground. It’s just two games, and the competition for both sides hasn’t been great. Still, the Terps are big favorites for a reason, even if they’re just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as double-digit favorites. I’ll lay the touchdowns.
