The Maryland Terrapins came off a shortened season that included wins at Penn State and against Minnesota. There is a lot of promise at quarterback with former Alabama recruit Taulia Tagovailoa.
The West Virginia Mountaineers came out with many positives, regardless of their 6-4 record last year. The Mountaineers lead the nation against the pass only allowing 160 yards per game, and are still are looking to keep that defense as productive as last year.
Check out our West Virginia vs. Maryland picks for Saturday, September 4.
West Virginia vs Maryland game info
• Location: Maryland Stadium, College Park, MD
• Date: Saturday, September 4, 2021
• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
West Virginia vs Maryland odds
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West Virginia vs Maryland betting preview
Weather
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Key injuries
West Virginia: Mike O'Laughlin TE (Questionable)
Maryland: Peny Boone RB (Questionable)
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Terrapins are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games as an underdog. Find more NCAA betting trends for West Virginia vs. Maryland.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
West Virginia can score from all different ways through the air and on the ground. They are a very dangerous offense that can cause a lot of trouble for a Maryland defense that gives up many points and has to find a way of filling voids from big contributors that will not be there this year. The Mountaineers should be able to have a lot of ease of scoring points at College Park. Along with this dangerous offense, the defense could even be scarier here.
It will be interesting to see how Taulia Tagovailoa progresses this year, having a season under his belt as the QB of the Maryland Terrapins. His name brings a lot of recognition because of his older brother in the NFL, but time will tell if he can live up to the hype. Last year Taulia threw for 1,011 yards with 7 TDs and 7 Interceptions. Maryland loses their top rusher from last year but return their Top 5 wide receivers. The Terrapins defense is returning nine, but last year the defense did not impress. They still gave up 32 points and this year they are without their leading tackler, Chance Campbell, who will be playing for Ole Miss.
At the quarterback position, West Virginia thrived. Jarret Doege threw for 2,587 yards with 14 TDs and 4 interceptions. Doege gets a lot of help from the returning offense. His two top weapons at wide receivers, Winston Wright and Bryce Ford-Wheaton, combined for 969 yards and 5 TDs. The West Virginia Mountaineers also return their leading rusher, Leddie Brown, who rushed for 1,068 yds with averaging 5 yards per a carry. Tons of fire back for the offense, which could lead to a more productive year on the offensive side. While the offense looks to improve, the defense delivered as well last year. They were top of the class of the Big 12 when it came to defense. They were first in total yards allowed and points allowed per game.
Tagovailoa has the pedigree to be very good — the talent is there. Can the coaching staff put him in the right position to lead this team to a victory on Saturday? It might be tough. Even if Taulia puts up a great offensive day, the defense might be the issue for the Terrapins here. I will take the West Virginia Mountaineers to win and cover the spread to start their season.
PREDICTION: West Virginia -2.5 (-110)
Over/Under pick
Both of these offenses have the potential to put up points. Last year, Maryland averaged 34.5 points per game at home. They have been a more productive offense at home and they will need that when they face the Mountaineers defense. Taulia didn’t have one of the best years last year at QB, so I expect him to have a more productive year with the experience he has with his wide receiver core.
I expect West Virginia to be a deadly offense from all aspects. The Mountaineers should have no issue scoring on this Maryland defense. Having a veteran QB in Doege and a lead running back in Brown return this year could not only be a problem for Maryland, but the rest of the opponents on their schedule.
The Mountaineers could make this game look really ugly with their offensive scoring power and strong defensive side. Having a big lead in this game could allow Maryland to score points late. This would allow those garbage points at the end to work in our benefit, as I expect this game to go over the Total at the very end of the game.
PREDICTION: Over 57.5 (-110)
West Virginia vs Maryland betting card
- West Virginia -2.5 (-110)
- Over 57.5 (-110)
Picks made on 09/02/2021 at 8:05 p.m. ET
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