Monday night’s game between the Florid State Seminoles and the Ole Miss Rebels marked the official close to the end of Week 1. The first week may be over but the college football betting action is just getting started. One of the best aspects of collegiate football – one that the NFL is trying to copy – is the fact that the games are spread out throughout the week. You can tune in on Friday, Saturday, and sometimes even Monday and Sunday. The contest between the Maryland Terrapins and the Florida International Golden Panthers will allow fans to get their college football fix on Friday. Let’s check in on the NCAA betting odds to see what they have to say about this contest.
Friday September 9th
Maryland -10 ½ 57 ½ (-110) -400
Florida International +10 ½ (-110) 57 ½ (-110) +325
Maryland is coming in as the favorites in this matchup which can be attributed to their performance in their opener against Howard, as well as Florida’s poor showing against the Hoosiers. The Golden Panthers ended up losing their season opener 34-13 with 16 of Indiana’s points coming from the defense. Two pick-6s and a safety were just the beginning of Florida International’s woes however. The Golden Panthers managed to stay in the game early despite adversary. Going into the 4th quarter they had the lead but after the Hoosiers put up 22 unanswered points, there was little hope for the Panthers to come away with it. Florida International was crippled by their inability to run the ball, only putting up 63 games in the matchup. The failure in the running game put too much pressure on the passing game which resulted in the injuries. Trying to shake this loss against Maryland is something the college football betting odds don’t think Florida international can do.
While the Golden Panthers will be coming off a heartbreaking loss, the Terrapins will come in flying high with confidence. Maryland steamrolled over the Howard Bison with a performance that included spectacular play on offense, nose-breaking defense, and even a blocked punt on special teams. It was an impressive performance, but some critics aren’t too impressed, especially when considering their opposition. Beating Howard won’t be enough to impress the Top 25 voters, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Now Maryland will continue trying to impress the voters by getting their first road victory against Florida International. The Terrapins will be coming in with confidence due to the fact that they’re both undefeated in 2016 and undefeated all-time against Florida International (4-0). Things aren’t looking up for the Golden Panthers and it’s unlikely that they’ll get their first win against Maryland come Friday. In the all-time series the Terrapins have outscored the Golden Panthers by a total of 127-61. This will be the second Big 10 opponent Florida International faces this season. The Hoosiers scored twice as many points as the Golden Panthers in their contest and it’s more than likely that Maryland will continue that trend. In the end, college football betting fans should stick with the odds on this one.
