Maryland vs. Northwestern Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Thursday, January 16th

Reed Wallach | Jan 16, 2025

Dec 29, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) dunks the ball against the Northeastern Huskies during the second half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Maryland sits at .500 in Big Ten play with a clear split between undefeated at home and winless on the road. 

Can the Terps change that on Thursday against Northwestern? The Wildcats will play host to Maryland after a blowout loss to Michigan State over the weekend, making it three straight losses for Chris Collins’ club. 

In a coin flip matchup, which side should we take? 

We have you covered below. 

Maryland vs. Northwestern Odds, Spread and Total

Spread 

• Maryland: -1.5 (-110)
• Northwestern: +1.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Maryland: -122
• Northwestern: -102

Total: 141.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Maryland vs. Northwestern How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, January 16th
• Game Time: 9:00 PM EST
• Venue: Welsh-Ryan Center
• How to Watch (TV): Big Ten Network
• Maryland Record: 13-4
• Northwestern Record: 10-6

Maryland vs. Northwestern Key Players to Watch

Maryland

Derik Queen: The freshman big man figures to be a lottery pick come this June’s NBA Draft, and it’s easy to see why with his dominant interior presence and playmaking for a player of his size. He is off arguably the best game of his young career, scoring 27 points on 66% shooting to go with seven rebounds in the team’s six-point win against Minnesota. 

Northwestern

Brooks Barnhizer: Barnhizer was shut down against Michigan State, making only two of his 13 field goal attempts for four points in the 10-point loss. The Wildcats put a ton on Barnhizer’s shoulders, he has upped his scoring to 18 points per game this season while grabbing more than nine rebounds and dishing out four assists. 

Maryland vs. Northwestern Prediction and Pick

Maryland is an incredibly volatile team that has struggled away from home all season and now faces a Northwestern team that is in the midst of a grueling scheduling stretch. The Wildcats lost by four at Penn State before double-digit losses at Purdue and Michigan State. 

However, there is looming shot regression coming for the Wildcats and I believe the team is ripe to score an impressive win at home against a capable Maryland squad. While Northwestern ranks 81st in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency metric and 34th on the defensive side of the ball, ShotQuality paints are far better picture for the group, ranked 40th on offense and 13th on defense. 

Meanwhile, Maryland has been playing way above its level on offense, ranked 50th in ShotQuality’s rating system while 22nd in KenPom’s metric. The defense is elite, but the offense continues to hold the team back on the road. 

Northwestern has been shooting a ghastly 26% from beyond the arc, but the team remains an elite rebounding group that can offset some of its offensive efficiency concerns. With shaky play on the road all season, I’ll fade Maryland in this tightly lined spread. 

PICK: Northwestern +1.5

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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