Picks for Maryland football’s season opener against Florida Atlantic

Maryland football takes on Florida Atlantic in its season opener Saturday at noon at SECU Stadium. The game will air on Big Ten Network.

The Terps are expected to continue their 13-game streak of victories in nonconference season openers. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Terps as 14.5-point favorites over the Owls, with moneyline win odds at -610. FanDuel expects a high-scoring affair between Maryland’s new-look offense and Florida Atlantic’s air-raid scheme, with the over-under set at 60.5 points.

Our football writers give their spread and over/under picks below.

Matt’s picks: FAU +14.5, over 60.5 points

I do think Maryland pulls out the victory, but 14.5 points is a lot given each team’s offensive situation.

The Terps don’t have an established starting quarterback, have a nearly entirely brand-new skill position group and a lackluster offensive line. That’s not to say they can’t be a productive offense, but the likelihood of them putting it all together in game one seems slim.

And the Owls want to put points on the board more than anything. Head coach Zach Kittley’s air raid offensive scheme is designed to run up the scoreboard as fast as possible, at all costs. Florida Atlantic also has an abundance of new pieces — including head coach and quarterback — but many of the important ones played together under Kittley at Western Kentucky.

Maryland is the more talented team, but don’t be surprised if it struggles to pull away.

For that same reason, I expect the teams to break 60.5 combined points. The Owls will give up plenty of points by virtue of playstyle, even if Maryland is disjointed on offense. And they’ll score plenty of their own even if Maryland’s defense steps up to the test. The path to 61 points is very, very clear.

Ryan’s picks: FAU +14.5, over 60.5 points

It’s tough to bet against head coach Michael Locksley in nonconference games, especially given the fact that Maryland has won each of its last seven nonconference games by at least 14 points. 

But FAU presents a different challenge. The Owls will not shy away from throwing the ball Saturday afternoon. Starting quarterback Caden Veltkamp is familiar with Kittley’s system, as the latter recruited the former to Western Kentucky.

But Maryland’s major question marks juxtapose the exact strengths the Owls present on offense, most notably at the quarterback position. Given this predicament, it could take some time for the Terps to get comfortable with a new signal caller behind center, and consequently, present more opportunity for FAU to keep things close with its dynamic offense.

At the same time, Maryland did not struggle in last year’s season opener on offense, despite similar quarterback uncertainty unraveling. The Terps put up a staggering 50 points at home against UConn, with Billy Edwards throwing for 311 yards and two touchdowns.

While I see the Terps ultimately pulling away and scoring somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 points, I would not be surprised to see FAU put up close to 30. 

Nolan’s picks: FAU +14.5, under 60.5 points

Maryland’s streak of 15 consecutive wins over non-conference teams is the longest such streak in the country. If the pride that that fact imbues does not rally the Terps to a victory Saturday — which is a real possibility, more real than most fans would like to believe — then there will be a long season ahead.

FAU will challenge Maryland with its aforementioned high-flying offense, but the Owls’ biggest obstacle that Maryland will need to overcome might be its secondary. FAU had a top-20 secondary in the nation in 2024, per Pro Football Focus. While the Owls did graduate three starters, they replaced each with a Division I transfer that looks ready to contribute immediately, and safety Wendol Philord remains to lead from the back.

The Owls will have every opportunity to slow down whoever is throwing passes for Maryland, but the Terps should be able to do the same given the gulf in talent. I believe the two new-look defenses will rise to the occasion, but Maryland has something to play for and simply has more firepower. The Terps will survive an uncomfortable one, crossing 30 points midway through the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.