Two teams coming off sobering losses to open their Big Ten schedules meet Sunday when the Maryland Terrapins entertain the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Terrapins (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) came out completely flat in a 43-3 loss to Northwestern, and are significant underdogs against a Golden Gophers team (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) that dropped a 49-24 decision to Michigan.
- Date/Time: October 30, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Maryland Stadium
- TV Coverage: ESPN
- Sportsbook Odds: Minnesota -17.5 | O/U 62.5 (Line History)
- Minnesota vs Maryland Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Golden Gophers opened as 17.5-point favorites, but that line has since grown to -20.5. The total kicked off at 62.5 and is now at 60.5 in most spots.
Minnesota News & Notes
It has only been one game, but the Golden Gophers have made it clear who they will be leaning on to lead them to victory in a competitive Big Ten West division. Running back Mohamed Ibrahim saw an incredible 30 touches in the season opener against the Wolverines despite the one-sided result, turning them into 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The passing game wasn’t quite as successful, but it did portend future value from a daily fantasy standpoint. Quarterback Tanner Morgan threw for just 196 yards with a touchdown and an interception but could be an interesting contrarian DFS play this week – and he has already established his No. 1 target, with Rashod Bateman hauling in nine passes for 102 yards in the season-Sportsbook loss.
Maryland News & Notes
It’s early, but the surname might be the only thing that Maryland’s starting quarterback has in common with his first-round draft pick brother. Taulia Tagovailoa had a dreadful debut for the Terrapins, throwing for just 94 yards and three interceptions against a stout Wildcats defense that held Maryland to just over 200 total yards and a 3.2 yards per carry average on the ground.
Fortunately for the Terrapins, Saturday’s matchup with the Golden Gophers should bear more offensive fruit. And with Maryland having established a trio of receivers – Nick DeGennaro, Dontay Demus Jr. and Jeshaun Jones – at the top of its pecking order, Tagovailoa should be able to move the ball through the air vs a Minnesota team that allowed 478 yards to Michigan.
Betting Pick: OVER 60.5 (-110)
We might be putting too much stock in last week’s results, but neither team looked all that impressive defensively in its season opener – and with both sides looking to rebound offensively, the points should be plentiful.
- Minnesota is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games.
- Maryland is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 home games.
- The OVER is 6-1 in Minnesota’s last 7 games vs the Big Ten.
