Florida Atlantic vs Maryland Week 1 Odds, Picks & Prediction

• The Florida Atlantic Owls are 14.5-point road underdogs in Week 1 College Football action vs the Maryland Terrapins
• FAU brings a new Air Raid offense under first-year head coach Zach Kittley
• Read below for Florida Atlantic vs Maryland betting odds, prediction and pick

Two programs looking to bounce back from brutal 2024 campaigns square off Saturday when the Florida Atlantic Owls travel north to face the Maryland Terrapins.

The college football odds have the Terps as hefty home favorites, though sharp money has already trimmed the number from its opening price.

Kickoff is set for noon ET from SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland, with Big Ten Network providing the broadcast coverage.

See below for the latest odds, preview and my betting prediction for this one.

Florida Atlantic vs Maryland Odds

The Owls opened as 16-point underdogs, but sharp action has driven the line down to 14.5. FAU is +450 on the moneyline, while Maryland sits at -600. The total has shot up from 57.5 to 61 points.

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Owls Bring Air Raid to College Park

Florida Atlantic enters Year 1 under Zach Kittley, the youngest head coach in Division I at just 33 years old. The former Texas Tech assistant brings his Air Raid system to Boca Raton after a disastrous 3-9 campaign last season.

The Owls have undergone massive roster turnover with 55 new players. Only eight starters return from last year’s squad that went 1-7 in American Athletic Conference play.

Leading the new-look offense is Western Kentucky transfer Caden Veltkamp, who threw for 3,108 yards and 25 touchdowns under Kittley last season. The 6-foot-6 quarterback was Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year and knows this system inside and out.

Terps Quarterback Battle Unsettled

Maryland faces its own uncertainty at the game’s most important position. Head coach Michael Locksley hasn’t named a starter among true freshmen Malik Washington, Justyn Martin and Kristian Martin.

The Terrapins went 4-8 last year but remain perfect in their last 15 non-conference games. That’s the longest active streak in FBS, with the last seven wins coming by at least 14 points.

New defensive coordinator Ted Monachino takes over a unit that ranked near the bottom of the Big Ten. The defense returns just three starters and must replace the entire front seven.

On the bright side, Maryland’s offensive line should be improved with three new starters, including highly touted transfer Rahtrel Perry. They can’t be worse than last year’s unit, which graded second-worst in FBS according to Pro Football Focus.

Florida Atlantic vs Maryland Prediction

• Pick: Florida Atlantic +14.5 (-110 at bet365)

Two touchdowns is a lot to lay with a team that doesn’t have its quarterback situation figured out. Maryland’s streak in non-conference games is impressive, but this isn’t the same roster that dominated those matchups.

Veltkamp and Kittley’s Air Raid can put points on the board in a hurry. FAU’s defense has only one returning starter in safety Wendel Philord, which should give the Terps plenty of opportunities.

The Owls have lost 14 straight road openers, but they’ve covered the spread in eight of their last 10 road games when getting double digits. Meanwhile, Maryland has failed to cover in eight straight games as a double-digit favorite.

I expect the Terrapins to win, but FAU’s offense keeps this within the number. The sharp money agrees – that’s why this line has already dropped 1.5 points.