Florida Atlantic vs Maryland Prediction 8/30/2025 Today’s College Football Picks

The Florida Atlantic Owls and the Maryland Terrapins meet Saturday in college football action from Byrd Stadium. Here’s a Florida Atlantic vs Maryland prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Florida Atlantic vs Maryland pick. We will examine:

The Florida Atlantic Owls recent form and player performance

The Maryland Terrapins recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Florida Atlantic Owls

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Maryland Terrapins

Recent betting trends in games played between Florida Atlantic and Maryland

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Florida Atlantic vs Maryland game

Florida Atlantic Owls Betting Preview

Last season the Owls had a rough campaign, to say the least. Florida Atlantic limped to a forgettable 3-9 record overall with a 1-7 run in American Athletic Conference matchups. That effort would give the Owls a second-to-last-place finish in the standings, ahead of only Tulsa. As a result, head coach Tom Herman was dismissed in November, posting a 6-16 overall run and a 3-11 record in the conference. The team’s only wins came versus FIU, Wagner and Tulsa. The win over the Hurricane halted a six-game losing streak at the end of the season, so Florida Atlantic did exit on a relative high note.

FAU will turn the page to a new chapter in 2025, under the leadership of first-year head coach Zach Kittley. He’ll bring along defensive coordinator Brett Dewhurst, also in his first season. Kittley is coming off a stint as offensive coordinator for Texas Tech, posting the fourth-ranked scoring offense (37.6 points per game) along the way. Kittley is the youngest coach in the FBS (34 years of age) and will handle the bulk of the offensive play-calling responsibility. Long story short, hopes are high for a proverbial kick in the pants on offense for Florida Atlantic.

Maryland Terrapins Betting Preview

Over on the Maryland side, they were lost among a highly competitive (and highly talented) Big Ten last season and pretty much got swallowed up in the standings. The Terrapins managed a 4-8 run overall with a rough 1-8 stretch among conference games. That would put Maryland ahead of only Purdue (0-9) in the standings. To be fair, the Big Ten did boast five ranked teams—Oregon, Penn State, Indiana, Ohio State and Illinois—atop their conference. Following a 4-3 start, Maryland lost their final five outings, finishing off with a November 30 defeat thanks to Penn State.

Moving forward to the 2025 campaign, the Terrapins have Mike Locksley back for his seventh year as head coach. He’ll get some fresh faces on the coaching staff however, most notably first-year offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton. The Terrapins have quite a bit of turnover to deal with, as QBs Billy Edwards and MJ Morris along with RB Roman Hemby highlight a pretty big crop of outgoing transfers. There are some intriguing names on the incoming list however, including WR Jalil Farooq (Oklahoma) and QB Justyn Martin (UCLA).

Why the Maryland Terrapins will win

• Maryland has won each of its last 12 games against non-conference opponents at SECU Stadium.
• Florida Atlantic has lost each of its last nine road games against non-conference opponents.
• Florida Atlantic has failed to cover the spread in five of its last six games.

Why the Florida Atlantic Owls will win

• Maryland has lost each of its last five games.
• Florida Atlantic has covered the spread in each of its last five road games against opponents from the Big Ten Conference.
• Maryland has failed to cover the spread in each of its last four games as a favorite.

Total Points Facts

• Seven of Florida Atlantic’s last eight games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams have gone OVER the total points line.
• Each of Maryland’s last four games against non-conference opponents at SECU Stadium have gone OVER the total points line.

Florida Atlantic vs Maryland Prediction

I’m going to take a stab on Florida Atlantic in this one. The Owls will start off 2025 with a tough matchup, but it’ll also be a solid opportunity to see what the new-look team can do against a major-conference school. FAU brought in some pretty interesting-looking names (on paper at least), headlined by former Western Kentucky QB Caden Veltkamp and Hilltoppers teammate Easton Messer at wide receiver. The shifty Messer should have plenty of chemistry with Veltkamp right out of the gate and should serve as an invaluable target during must-have downs. Florida Atlantic also added some beef on both lines—and they’ll need it when going up against Maryland’s fronts. Relatively speaking, there’s a high ceiling for the Owls this season, and I like the team to take a big step forward in 2025.