Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Maryland Terrapins Betting Prediction

Friday night features a Big Ten matchup of West versus East, as the Minnesota Golden Gophers (0-1) square off with the Maryland Terrapins (0-1). Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET from Maryland Stadium.
The Golden Gophers come into Friday night’s contest after being humiliated 49-24 by #13 Michigan in their home opener last week. The defense was especially suspect, as they allowed the Wolverines to combine for 478 yards on the ground and through the air. The Gophers hope to rebound against a much weaker Maryland team.
Maryland also suffered a tough loss in their opener, getting annihilated in their 43-3 to the Northwestern Wildcats. The Terrapins struggled on both sides of the ball. Not only did the Maryland defense allow 43 points, but their offense only had 207 total yards on offense. They will have to be better against a Minnesota team that will have a chip on its shoulder after their loss last week.
The Golden Gophers come into this one as the expected winners, despite playing on the road. The Minnesota Moneyline is a whopping -1050 while a Terrapins win would pay nicely at +630. P.J. Fleck’s team is a -18.5 favorite with the over/under for total points is set at 61.5.
Golden Gophers Look For First Win
After a disappointing performance last week against Michigan, Minnesota will look to right the ship and pick up their first win of the season Friday. Leading the way for the Golden Gophers is quarterback Tanner Morgan, who threw for 197 yards with one TD and one INT in a disappointing showing vs. the Wolverines.
Rashod Bateman had a solid start to the season, with 9 receptions for 101 yards against a solid Michigan secondary. Ko Kieft (2 receptions, 29 yards) picked up the receiving touchdown.
Minnesota also had an outstanding performance from RB Mohamed Ibrahim in the season opener. Ibrahim rushed 26 times for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns, numbers which should only improve against a much weaker Maryland defense.
Maryland Hoping For Improvements On Both Sides Of The Ball
There is really nowhere to go but up for the Terrapins after their 43-3 no-show in their opener. Taulia Tagovailoa especially needs a bounce back, as the Maryland QB had just 94 yards against Northwestern while tossing three interceptions.
Really, though, no one had a strong showing in the opener for Maryland. Jake Funk (6 carries, 35 yards) and Peny Boone (5 carries, 30 yards) led the way on the ground. Nick DeGennaro (3 receptions, 42 yards) and Dontay Demus (4 receptions, 41 yards) were the leading receivers..
Minnesota Wins, But Can They Cover?
The Golden Gophers should win this one with relative ease. The question is whether they can cover a big 18.5-point spread, considering how bad Minnesota looked last week? The Terrapins are certainly not the Wolverines however, and if the Golden Gophers have issues then so do the Terrapins. The loss to Michigan may have helped Minnesota for this meeting, as the Wolverines have what looks like one of the best defenses in the country.
For my money, I am taking Minnesota not only to win, but to cover the 18.5 points as well.