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Maryland vs Penn State Odds, Spread, Prediction and Picks

Jack Magruder

by Jack Magruder in College Football

Updated Nov 10, 2022 · 11:36 AM PST

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford throws a pass
Nov 5, 2022; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford (14) throws a pass during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
  • No. 14 Penn State looks to burnish its bowl resumè in a Big Ten game against Maryland on Saturday, November 12.
  • The Nittany Lions are a 10-point home favorite over the Terrapins in Happy Valley.
  • Read below for Maryland vs Penn State odds, analysis and prediction.

No. 14 Penn State (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten East) is a 10-point home favorite against Maryland in a Big Ten East game at 3:30 PM Saturday on FOX. The Nittany Lions enter with a strong chance at another New Year’s Six bowl appearance.

Maryland (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten East) needs one more victory to match its conference high since joining the Big Ten in 2014. After visiting Penn State, the Terps play host to No. 2 Ohio State.

Maryland vs Penn State Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Maryland Terrapins +10 (-115) +310 Over 59 (-110)
Penn State Nittany Lions -10 (-105) -380 Under 59 (-110)

Odds from DraftKings on Nov. 10. Claim the DraftKings Sportsbook promo code

Penn State is a 10-point home favorite against Maryland in a series it has dominated since the Terrapins joined the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings, their only loss a 35-19 defeat as a 27.5-point favorite in the last meeting in Happy Valley in Covid-delayed 2020. The Lions’ only excuse for that one is that they were coming off a 13-point home loss to Ohio State.

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Mayland is 4-5 ATS this season but has failed to cover in its last four. The total has gone under in six of Penn State’s last nine home games and five of its last six against Terrapins. The game has moved toward Maryland and the over since it opened. Penn State was a 12-point favorite and the total was 57 when the game was posted. There was still a lot of 10.5 out there at midweek.

Penn State Back on Track

Penn State rebounded from a fourth-quarter collapse in a 44-31 loss to Ohio State two weeks ago with a decisive 45-14 victory at Indiana the last time out,  when freshmen running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton combined for 159 yards rushing and four touchdowns.

The Nittany Lions remain on track to surpass their number in the CFP wins totals odds and have rolled through everyone in the Big Ten except No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan, winning their other four league games by an average score of 37-17.

Quarterback Sean Clifford remains prone to the occasional lapse — 2,045 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 144.9 passing efficiency rating, which is 49th in Division I — but the Nittany Lions have been much more able to compensate than in years past with the strong play of Allen and Singleton. The two have combined for 1,237 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. Clifford is 16 yards short of passing Trace McSorley for the school career yardage record.

Penn State’s defense, skewed by poor games against Michigan and Ohio State, ranks 49th in Division I and stepped up against last week, limiting the Hoosiers to 196 yards. Indiana played without starting quarterback Connor Bazelak, and No. Jack Tuttle left in the first half with an apparent shoulder injury after one of the Lions’ six sacks.

Maryland Going the Wrong Way

The Bowl-qualified Terrapins are going in the wrong direction after a 4-1 start that included a seven-point loss to No. 3 Michigan, the closest anyone has come to beating the Wolverines this season. They have split their last four games in a slate that was rated high in the NCAAF strength of schedule rankings, with losses to Purdue and Wisconsin and close wins over Indiana and Northwestern, and gave up 233 yards rushing in a 23-10 loss to Wisconsin the last time out.

Taulia Tagovailoa has completed 69.9 percent of his passes for 2,078 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions, but the Heisman buzz he attracted early in 2021 has never materialized this year. Tagovailoa had the least productive game of his Maryland career against Wisconsin, going 10 of 23 for 77 yards with one touchdown and one pick on a windy, rainy day. He aggravated a sprained right MCL against Northwestern and did not appear 100 percent against the Badgers.

Tagovailoa is certain to respond, and if he does anything like he did against the Lions in 2021, look out. He threw 57 times for 371 yards and a touchdown in a 31-14 loss.

Maryland vs Penn State Prediction

Both teams excel in the red zone, ranking in the top 17 in Division I. Maryland can hurt itself at inopportune times. The Terps are averaging eight penalties per game, 119th among the 131 Division I teams, and a late penalty negated a touchdown in a 31-29 loss to Purdue. Penn State has owned the series, and there is no reason to believe it will not continue.

  • Pick: Penn State -10 (-105)
  • Season CFB: 32-34 ATS

 

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