The 21st-ranked Maryland Terrapins (10-3, 1-1 Big Ten) visit Ann Arbor to take on the Michigan Wolverines (7-5, 1-0) Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET (FS1). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Maryland vs. Michigan odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
After a strong start to the season by the Terrapins under 1st-year coach Kevin Willard — opening 8-0 — the train has fallen off the tracks a bit in recent games.
With 3 losses in its last 5 games, Maryland has come back to the pack and is more what it was expected to be before a hot start. An early December win against Illinois doesn’t look as good now as the Illini (9-4, 0-2) also have begun to struggle. While losses to current No. 10 Tennessee, No. 8 UCLA and 15th-ranked Wisconsin were all to top-20 teams, being non-competitive in an 87-60 home loss to UCLA is not the showing the team wanted.
Michigan, after starting in the Top 25, also has slid down the ranks this season. Its most recent game was a stunning 63-61 loss as 21.5-point home favorites to directional state school Central Michigan. A win at Minnesota in the 1st conference game back on Dec. 8 was a good start for Michigan, but it has lost 2 of 3 since, including 2 in a row. With games coming up against the cream of the Big Ten, getting a win over Maryland will be needed.