It’s Big 12 vs. Big Ten in College Park this coming Saturday, as the Maryland Terrapins take on the West Virginia Mountaineers. Which team will take the win to start their season? Check out our preview of this game below.
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Betting Preview for the West Virginia Mountaineers vs Maryland Terrapins NCAA Week 1 College Football Game on September 4, 2021
Where: Maryland Stadium, College Park
When: Saturday, September 4, 2021, 8:00 PM ET
Line: West Virginia Mountaineers (-2.5) vs. Maryland Terrapins (+2.5) – view all 2021 NCAAF lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the West Virginia Mountaineers (-2.5)
Record: 0-0 Overall / 0-0 Conference
West Virginia’s defense is projected to be a stout one again. Last year, the Mountaineers ranked 25th in the nation with 21.7 points allowed per game and fifth in total defense with only 300.9 total yards surrendered per contest. That’s the kind of stop unit a team like Maryland could have a hard time getting around, especially since it’s been a while since the Terps have had an elite offense. The Mountaineers’ defense against the pass should be particularly tough to crack. In 2020, West Virginia limited opponents to only a little over 160 passing yards per game. Meanwhile, the offense will be handled by Jarret Doege, who returns after posting 2,587 passing yards and 14 touchdowns with only four picks thrown. Doege is not a spectacular quarterback, but he’s not going to turn the ball over a lot, either. He could have a clean performance against Maryland’s defense that had a hard time forcing turnovers in 2020.
West Virginia is 3-2 against the spread in its last five games overall.
Betting on the Maryland Terrapins (+2.5)
Record: 0-0 Overall / 0-0 Conference
Sure, the Terrapins don’t seem to have one of the exciting offenses out there, but this team can still get the job done on that end of the field. For one, junior Taulia Tagovailoa has the talent to maximize the potential of an underrated receiving corps. Tagovailoa struggled with turnovers in 2020, though the player that he was at the time might not be the one who’s going to take snaps under center this season. An improved version of Tagovailoa should mean a smoother offense for the Terps, who are boasting arguably the best set of wideouts in the Big Ten. Dontay Demus Sr., Rakin Jarrett, and Brian Cobbs are all returning, which means Maryland has all of their top three receivers roaming downfield this year. Maryland was second in the Big Ten in 2020 with 8.3 yards per pass completion, thanks to those three receivers averaging at least 14.5 yards per reception.
Maryland is 6-4 against the spread in its last 10 games as the home team.
Writer’s Prediction
West Virginia wins, 31-20.
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