Maryland and Northwestern are still searching for their first conference win, sitting at 0-2 in Big Ten play, but one of them will break through in Week 7.
Get the latest betting odds, spread analysis, and our pick in this Northwestern vs. Maryland prediction ahead of Friday’s Big Ten showdown.
Betting Preview for Northwestern vs. Maryland
All Northwestern vs. Maryland odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. The CFN spread comes from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter.
- CFN FPM Spread
Maryland -10.5 - Spread
Maryland -10.5 - Moneyline
Maryland -425, Northwestern +340 - Over/Under
45.5 points - Game Time
8:00 p.m. ET, Friday, Oct. 11 - Location
SECU Stadium, College Park, Md. - Predicted Weather at Kick
58 degrees, 2 mph winds, clear - How To Watch
Fox
The line has come down by a couple of points from Maryland -12 while the total has risen from 43.5 at the opening. In fact, from the -12 mark it opened at, it’s come down a full point and a half to reach exactly where CFN’s week-opening numbers were for each team, Maryland -10.5.
Speaking of the total, the over has hit in four of the Terrapins’ and three of the Wildcats’ last five games.
MORE: CFN Betting Parlay Calculator
The spread hasn’t been too kind to Northwestern, as the program is 1-4 ATS this season. However, it hasn’t been much nicer to Maryland, who is 0-6 ATS in its last six games played in October.
And for those looking at the moneyline, the Wildcats are 2-15 straight up in their last 17 games on the road.
Northwestern’s Winning Probability
The FPM and sportsbooks are in near lockstep when it comes to the spread, with Northwestern owning a 20.7% win probability in Week 7. Yet, that’s nowhere close to its lowest, with Ohio State and Michigan still on the schedule.
- vs. Wisconsin: 22.6%
- at Iowa: 17.2%
- at Purdue: 37.4%
- vs. Ohio State: 3.1%
- at Michigan: 8.3%
- vs. Illinois: 18.9%
Maryland’s Winning Probability
By simple subtraction, Maryland’s win probability is a generous 79.3%. The program shouldn’t take it for granted, though, as it isn’t favored in any of its final six games in 2024.
- vs. USC: 29.7%
- at Minnesota: 48.8%
- at Oregon: 5.9%
- vs. Rutgers: 48.8%
- vs. Iowa: 47.5%
- at Penn State: 8.9%
Prediction for Northwestern vs. Maryland
The Terrapins (42-28 in Week 5) and Wildcats (41-24 in Week 6) are both coming off eerily similar losses to the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers. But one of these teams will finally snap their skid in Week 7.
Maryland has been outscoring opponents by 14.8 points per game, and the Wildcats have another uphill battle with the Terrapins’ high-powered passing attack averaging 304.8 yards per game—just above Northwestern’s average total yardage (302.8).
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season With CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
Is Jack Lausch a significant upgrade over Mike Wright? Probably not, and the constant QB shuffling hasn’t helped Northwestern, leading to a 2-3 record with victories over a struggling Miami-OH (1-4) and FCS-level Eastern Illinois.
Meanwhile, Billy Edwards Jr. has made Maryland fans forget about Taulia Tagovailoa, completing 72.3% of his passes for 11 TDs, just two picks, and an 8.2 yards-per-attempt average. Northwestern’s defense is respectable, but they won’t be able to keep up with the explosive trio of Edwards, RB Roman Hemby, and WR Tai Felton, who’s been on a tear with a 10-151-1 receiving line over the last four games.
Prediction: Maryland 28, Northwestern 13
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