The Maryland Terrapins got off to a hot start under their new head coach, but fizzled out when conference play rolled around though some of that could be due to injury issues around quarterback Perry Hills. With some time off, Hills will be much healthier as the Terps take on the Boston College Eagles in the Quick Lane Bowl just after Christmas. Both teams will be looking to unwrap a late Christmas present of an above .500 final record.
This matchup in the Quick Lane Bowl will take place on Monday, December 26, 2016, at 2:30 p.m. ET at Ford Field.
CFB Odds at BookMaker.eu
Maryland -1.5
Boston College +1.5
Over/Under 45
Odds Analysis
Opening up even, the spread has since shifted slightly into the Terps’ favor at 1.5-points with the total shrinking a point in the process.
Maryland had a tough go of it in conference play, but their out of conference record bumped them to the necessary six wins for a bowl bid. It’s been the offense that hasn’t stacked up to the Big Ten defenses with three straight games of seven points or fewer before a big win over lowly Rutgers to close out the season.
Maryland did cover the spread in that victory over the Scarlett Knights, but are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight overall.
Boston College’s ATS record is only slightly better on the season than Maryland overall, but did cover their last two games.
Matchup to Watch
Neither offense will set the world on fire which is why we’ve seen the total drop from its already meager state since opening.
When these two teams collide after Christmas, the differentiator will be which offense is able to make something happen. Based solely on the numbers and the personnel, that should be Maryland, but the Boston College defense looks stronger than the one the Terps will be rolling out.
If Hill is healthy, that makes a huge difference. He’s completed 66-percent of his passes even with a bum shoulder. If he can deliver against a solid Eagle secondary, that could open up the ground game for Ty Johnson. He’s the center piece of the Maryland offense, but Boston College is ranked No. 7 in fewest rushing yards per game allowed.
The Eagles need to shutdown Johnson early and take him out of the game. Meanwhile, on the other side of the gridiron, Maryland will look for every chance to get him involved early and often. If the Terps can get Johnson rolling early, they certainly have the upper hand. If not, they could see a similar result as they saw all too often in conference play.
Coaching Angle
These two teams both bring mediocre 6-6 records into the game, but both have arguably gotten more out of their teams than they should’ve considering the flawed rosters and injury issues that cropped up throughout the year.
That leads us to the coaching angle. Both D.J. Durkin and Steve Addazio are Urban Meyer disciples, each part of the 2010 Florida Gators staff. That makes this a very interesting battle from this angle with both teams coming from a similar background and team philosophy.
Each have done well to get their teams to this point given their conferences and divisions, but it’ll be the tricks one has been able to pick up since their days on the same coaching staff that will be the difference maker. Otherwise, we’re dealing with two coaches that know each other very well.
Free ATS Pick
The best bet on Monday may be the total rather than the spread given the futility of both of these offenses. Look to jump on the under in a game that figures to be void of offense and a bit lackluster to watch.
Given the closeness of the spread, this is still very much anybody’s game. The Terps play in the tougher conference and ended the season with the same record, that gives them the upper hand. I also have faith that Hill and Johnson can do enough to knockout an Eagles team is averaging just 19.1 PPG and just 288.2 yards per game, some of the worst offensive figures of any team in all of college football.
Take Maryland and the under in what’ will ultimately be one of the more boring games of this bowl season.
College Football Odds: Maryland 20, Boston College 13
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