Betsided

Maryland vs. Northwestern Prediction, Odds, Key Players for Wednesday, Jan. 17

By Reed Wallach

Dec 20, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Boo Buie (0) drives to the basket
Dec 20, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Boo Buie (0) drives to the basket / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

Northwestern is a fixture in the competitive Big Ten this season but lost to up-and-coming Wisconsin over the weekend.

Back at home, the Wildcats will look to get back on track at home against Maryland, who won surprisingly at Illinois over the weekend. Did the Terps turn a corner, or will the team fail to capitalize?

Here's our full betting preview for Maryland vs. Northwestern in Big Ten action on Wednesday, January 17th:

New Fanduel users! Sign up with the link below to get $150 in bonus bets when you make a first bet of just $5 -- win or lose! Get started below.

Maryland vs. Northwestern Odds, Spread and Total

Northwestern vs. Maryland Betting Trends

  • Maryland is 6-11 against the spread (ATS) this season
  • Maryland is 2-4 ATS as an underdog this season
  • Northwestern is 9-7-1 ATS this season
  • Maryland has gone UNDER in 11 of 17 games this season

Northwestern vs. Maryland How to Watch

  • Date: Wednesday, January 17th
  • Game Time: 9:00 PM EST
  • Venue: Welsh-Ryan Arena
  • How to Watch (TV): Big Ten Network
  • Northwestern Record: 11-6
  • Maryland Record: 12-4

Maryland vs. Northwestern Key Players to Watch

Maryland

Jahmir Young: The senior guard is averaging nearly 20 points per game while grabbing four rebounds and dishing out four assists. He has had some massive performances already this season, including 37 at UCLA, but none may be more important than Sunday's 28 points and eight assists against Illinois, getting Illinois a second straight Big Ten win.

Northwestern

Boo Buie: On the other side of the floor will be Buie, who is enjoying another monster campaign with the Wildcats, averaging 18 points per game and nearly five assists, upping his three-point percentage from 31.8% last season to 35.2% this year.

Maryland vs. Northwestern Prediction and Pick

Maryland got a monster performance from both Young and Julian Reese (20 points, nine rebounds), but I struggle to see many paths to success for the Terps, who lack the perimeter shot-making to challenge the compact Wildcats defense.

Northwestern is top 35th in the country in terms of turnover percentage and also has a top 100 average shot proximity, making it difficult for teams to generate easy looks from the interior. It's worth noting this is especially tough for Maryland, who is 349th in the country in three-point percentage and is 12th in Big Ten play in terms of turnover percentage.

Meanwhile, Northwestern should enjoy being at home with its motion offense around Buie. The Wildcats use cutting action at the 20th highest frequency in the country, per ShotQuality and are scoring at a top 35 rate per possession. Maryland hasn't seen this offense very often, bottom half of the country, and is right at the national average in terms of defending it. The team's motion concepts may give the visitors fits.

I'll take Northwestern to get it done at home and cover the small number against a Maryland team that may be trending up in Big Ten play but is fresh off a massive win on the road. I don't envision the team can make it two in a row.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.



Track Reed's bets here!

Home/College Basketball Predictions and Picks