The Texas Longhorns and Maryland Terrapins get their 2018 seasons started with a high-profile matchup on Saturday at noon ET from FedEx Field in Washington D.C. The Terrapins surprised the Longhorns last year, 51-41, as a 19-point underdog. Now, Texas is out for revenge on the field of the NFL's Redskins. Texas is a 13.5-point favorite, up from an open of 10. The over-under, or total points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 55, down from an open of 56.5 after action on the under on Saturday morning. Before you make your Texas vs. Maryland picks, you need to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.
The computer has generated a stunning $4,210 profit for $100 bettors over the past three years and closed the bowl season on a perfect 7-0 run. Now, it has simulated Texas-Maryland 10,000 times to produce strong against the spread and over-under picks. We can tell you it's leaning heavily toward the under, saying it hits in a whopping 63 percent of simulations. Its bold point-spread pick that hits in well over 60 percent of simulations can be found only at SportsLine.
The model knows that Texas went 7-6 last year in Tom Herman's first season as head coach, ending in a Texas Bowl win over Missouri. But with 14 returning starters, the expectations have grown.
Shane Buechele started at QB as a true freshman last year before injuries took him out of the lineup. Sam Ehlinger -- who started as a freshman in 2016 -- took over before a concussion sidelined him and then Buechele returned. Both are back for 2018, and Herman named Buechele the starter vs. Maryland.
Buechele was also the team's top rusher last year with just 385 yards. Daniel Young emerged as a freshman last year to gain 373 yards over the final five games. Young and Tre Watson, a grad transfer from Cal, should offer increased production.
Just because Texas has high expectations doesn't mean it will cover a double-digit spread. A bowl bid this year is the goal for Maryland, led by eight returning offensive starters and three of its top-five tacklers on defense. Max Bortenschlager returns at QB, but he's likely to end up behind redshirt freshman Kasim Hill on the depth chart. Hill secured the win over Texas with two fourth-quarter TD drives before tearing his ACL in Game 3 and being redshirted.
Ty Johnson gained 875 yards rushing and leads a solid pack of backs. On defense, junior LBs Antoine Davis and Isaiah Davis were No. 2 and 3 in tackles last year, and the addition of Auburn transfer Byron Cowart and four-star recruit Austin Fontaine adds a pass rush that too-often was lacking.
So which side of the Texas vs. Maryland spread hits in well over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to be all over, all from the proven computer model that has returned over $4,000 for $100 bettors.