Friday night college football sees a rivalry renewed as the 0-2 Virginia Cavaliers cross the Potomac river to take on an undefeated Maryland Terrapins team. Who emerges victorious from a rivalry dating back to 1919, but not played for a decade?
Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a Maryland vs. Virginia prediction.
Maryland vs. Virginia Betting and DFS Preview
All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as Wednesday, September. 13, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Maryland vs. Virginia odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page right here.
- Spread
Maryland -14.5 - Moneyline
Maryland -625, Virginia +455 - Over/Under
49 points - Game time
07:00 p.m. ET - Location
SECU Stadium, College Park, MD - Predicted Weather at Kick
63 degrees, 6-8 mph winds, clear - How to Watch
FuboTV, FS1
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Looking to make a little money on Maryland? Can the Cavaliers convert some cash into, well, some more cash? If you’re going to take advantage of the Maryland vs. Virginia odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
The moneyline feels like a fairly straightforward bet here.
Maryland has the home advantage, historical advantage, and, quite frankly, the talent advantage. While they allowed Charlotte to put up 20 points last week, they should have the offensive firepower to shoot down a Virginia team who return starting QB Tony Muskett.
Taking Maryland on the moneyline is the smart move, but it won’t move the needle from a betting perspective. So you might want to consider some other options including the spread and over/under.
The Terrapins are 0-2 against the spread this year, while Virginia covered in true freshman Anthony Colandrea’s first start. The return to Muskett as the starter muddies the waters a little, and while our Maryland vs. Virginia prediction has the Cavs covering, our confidence factor isn’t as high as it once was.
The over/under is set at 49 points by DraftKings Sportsbook and I can understand why. Virginia was hardly an offensive superpower last fall, and Maryland’s defense has some playmakers.
However, as our Maryland vs. Virginia prediction below suggests, this could become a high-scoring affair. Maryland has the talent to almost hit the line themselves.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Maryland Depth Chart | Virginia Depth Chart
- QB Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland ($11,200)
- QB Anthony Colandrea, Virginia ($7,500)
- QB Tony Muskett, Virginia ($7,500)
- RB Roman Hemby, Maryland ($9,700)
- RB Perris Jones, Virginia ($7,800)
- RB Mike Hollins, Virginia ($6,700)
- RB Kobe Pace, Virginia ($6,600)
- RB Colby McDonald, Maryland ($5,800)
- RB Antwaine Littleton, Maryland ($5,000)
- WR Kaden Prather, Maryland ($8,100)
- WR Jeshaun Jones, Maryland ($7,600)
- WR Malik Washington, Virginia ($7,300)
- WR Malachi Fields, Virginia ($6,700)
- WR Tyrese Chambers, Maryland ($6,500)
- WR Octavian Smith Jr., Maryland ($6,000)
- WR Tai Felton, Maryland ($5,700)
- TE Corey Dyches, Maryland ($6,800)
- TE Grant Misch, Virginia ($5,100)
There are three Friday college football games to compile your DFS team from in Week 3. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, then a “superflex” than can be any of the above or you can also select a tight end in the superflex spot.
With 42.18 fantasy points this season, Taulia Tagovailoa is the highest-scoring quarterback of any on display during Friday night’s action. He has a good matchup against a Virginia defense that ranks in the bottom half of college football for passing yards per game and touchdowns allowed, while yet to snag an interception.
The Maryland QB is the obvious choice at QB.
Virginia RB Kobe Pace emerged as a multi-faceted threat for the Cavaliers at running back in the tight loss to JMU. While he won’t be the best running back option on show in Friday’s slate — UTSA’s Kavorian Barnes, Air Force’s John Lee Eldridge III, or one of the Utah State rushers are all viable options — if value dictates your Maryland vs. Virginia picks, Pace might be your man.
Maryland’s Corey Dyches should be a legitimate contender for your superflex spot.
He leads the Terps in receptions and yards, compiling 19.9 fantasy points as a top-10 TE fantasy option. Like with the RB options, there might be better WR options on the Friday night slate, but Kaden Prather and Malik Washington are both worthy of consideration as you compile your team.
Prediction for Maryland vs. Virginia
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Maryland vs. Virginia odds and some DFS picks and it’s time to close this thing out with our Maryland vs. Virginia prediction.
The teams haven’t met since Maryland fled the ACC, taking a 44-32-4 head-to-head record and two-game win streak with them to the Big Ten. Can the Terps continue the streak, or are the Cavaliers about to charge?
Virginia comes into the game on the back of two defeats, having been turned over by Tennessee and squeezed into a close defeat by in-state rival JMU. There were reasons for optimism in that loss to a good Dukes’ team, namely the performance of true freshman QB Colandrea.
The offense looked vastly improved in his hands, so it’s something of a surprise that the Cavaliers have retuned to Muskett under center. That said, the UVA staff appear confident in the former FCS phenom, and as such they could still trouble the Maryland defense.
However, that unit has allowed just two touchdowns in two games, with half of Maryland’s allowed points coming from two field goals and a pick-six given up on offense. Playmakers in the secondary, like Ja’Quan Sheppard, Beau Brade, and Tarheeb Still will make life difficult for Virginia’s young QB and receiving group.
UVA’s best chance of a result might be leaning on the ground game and trying to limit the time that Maryland gets on offense. Although Tagovailoa threw two interceptions in the win over Charlotte, the Terps quarterback is one of the best in the conference and is ably assisted by a supporting cast chocked full of talent.
Maryland might have just enough to be stopped.
Prediction: Maryland 38, Virginia 24