This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
Maryland 
vs. Virginia 
Betting Odds and Best Bets
Jump in on the college football action for 2023 with a BetMGM bonus code sporting a $1,500 first-bet offer. RotoWire has plenty of college football betting tools and info to keep you in the loop this season. From the latest college football odds to college football futures and Heisman odds, we have you covered.
Former ACC rivals are set to do battle Friday night in College Park. The Cavaliers are off a crushing one-point loss to in-state foe James Madison, bringing an 0-2 record into the game, going 1-1 ATS, with both of their games going over the total. Last week's game had a minimal 40-point O/U, which both teams nearly hit on their own. Maryland has yet to be tested, beating Towson and Charlotte by a combined 50 points. They've yet to cover thus far, with the total going over once.
Maryland vs. Virginia Betting Odds for Week 3
Spread: Maryland -14.5 (Bet MGM)
Total: 48.0 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Moneyline: Maryland -575 (DraftKings Sportsbook); Virginia +450 (Caesar's SportsBook)
The Terps opened early Sunday morning as 17.5 favorites but fell in early market action as low as -13.5 before this started creeping back up. It now sits above the two-touchdown threshold, which is usually an uncomfortable number. FanDuel has this at -15.5 as of Thursday morning, so there's a chance this continues moving north.
The total has seen a steady trend downward, opening at 51. It's still being offered at 48.5 in places, and you may be able to take that with minimal risk, though it's not going to come with any significant odds boost.
To win outright, there's next to no appeal in the Terps, and you'll have to shop around somewhat heavily to find it under -600 if you even still can. Maryland has been as high as -650 throughout the week, and Virginia at +470. The betting trends are clearly on a low-scoring, Maryland easy win, so if you are buying anything the Cavaliers showed last week as progress, your best strategy may appear to be waiting and getting the best odds or higher numbers just before kickoff.
Join the 2023 college football fun with a Caesars Sportsbook promo code featuring $250 in bonus bets.
Maryland vs. Virginia Betting Picks for Week 3
Statistically, this is a tough matchup to break down. Virginia has been surprisingly okay against the pass, but that's largely because teams are running right through their defensive front. They rank 124th through two games, allowing 227.0 ypg, 5.3 ypc and seven rushing touchdowns. Maryland has shown nice offensive balance but against weak competition. Defensively, the Terps have been more vulnerable to the run, but the Cavaliers' ground game could be worse than their defense, putting up just 56.5 ypg and a measly 1.5 ypc.
Given that the Terps have scored 38 points in each of their first two games and Virginia's leaky defense, the over here looks appealing, particularly with it continuing to trend down. But knowing we'll need some help from the Cavaliers to get there, I'm not entirely comfortable. Virginia looked competent throwing the ball last week under freshman QB Anthony Colandrea but are going back to Tony Muskett here, who was just 9-for-17 for 94 yards against Tennessee before injury. And with UVA so bad running the ball, Maryland should be able to stop that with six or seven and defend what appears to be a less risky quarterback. I like the over still, as I don't expect the Cavaliers to be shut out, but UVA topped 20 points just once last year against a Power 5 school.
That leaves us with the spread. And I just don't see how this game is close. Under Muskett, I'm not sure the Cavaliers are even a one-dimensional offense; they simply just don't have much at all with the ball. Maryland will use a balanced attack early to build a lead and then be able to easily pick up first downs on the ground to keep any chance of a Cavalier comeback at bay. I'm honestly comfortable with the -17 number this opened at, and I don't mind that it's a tick above two scores.
Maryland vs. Virginia Best Bet: Maryland -14.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook
Enjoy more of the 2023 college football season with a DraftKings Promo Code for $200 in bonus bets!
Maryland vs. Virginia Predictions for Week 3
Last week's offensive outburst by the Cavaliers was likely an abnormality. It was an emotionally charged atmosphere in Charlottesville in their first home game since last year's tragedy, facing an upstart in-state school that's less than an hour away. That's not carrying over on the road Friday night. I further don't like UVA's decision to go back to Muskett at quarterback. Colandrea had some zero-care gunslinger to him last week, and they likely need that to compete.
Maryland has some winnable conference games up next with Michigan State and Indiana, giving them a real shot at a 5-0 start. I think they'll be focused and take care of business with relative ease. MARYLAND 38-13.
