Nebraska vs. Maryland Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Sunday, January 19th

Reed Wallach | Jan 18, 2025

Jan 7, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Brice Williams (3) looks to pass as Iowa Hawkeyes guard Josh Dix (4) defends during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Maryland couldn’t build on a small winning streak, losing in overtime at Northwestern during the week. 

However, the Terps can get back on track on Sunday against Nebraska, who is in the midst of a tailspin after a strong start to Big Ten play. The Cornhuskers have dropped three straight in league play, most recently in a close home loss to Rutgers. 

Fed Hoiberg’s group has travelled well this season, winning two non conference games on the road, including against Creighton. Can the team make the trip to College Park and contend with an NCAA Tournament club in Maryland? 

Here’s our betting preview. 

Nebraska vs. Maryland Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Nebraska: +7.5 (-105)
• Maryland: -7.5 (-115)

Moneyline

• Nebraska: +320
• Maryland: -400

Total: 145.5 (Over -104/Under -118)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Nebraska vs. Maryland How to Watch

• Date: Sunday, January 19th
• Game Time: 12:00 PM EST
• Venue: XFINITY Center
• How to Watch (TV): Big Ten Network
• Nebraska Record: 12-5
• Maryland Record: 13-5

Nebraska vs. Maryland Key Players to Watch 

Nebraska

Brice Williams: Despite the three-game skid, Williams continues to produce. He has scored in double figures in all but one Big Ten game this season, including 30 points in December against Indiana and 21 against Rutgers on Thursday despite the loss. Williams will put a ton of pressure on the Maryland perimeter defense to stop him from getting to his spots on the floor as WIlliams has a 63% true shooting percentage. 

Maryland

Derik Queen: Queen showed on Thursday that he can do more than just pour it in the hoop, only scoring nine points in the loss to Northwestern on the road in overtime, but grabbing 14 rebounds. Queen is likely a lottery pick in the NBA Draft and will look to showcase his talent on Sunday afternoon. 

Nebraska vs. Maryland Prediction and Pick

Maryland has been a dominant team at home this season, 11-1 on the year, but I like Nebraska to keep this one competitive in a matchup that suits the Cornhuskers well. 

First, Maryland is coming off a fairly grueling set of games that includes a come from behind effort against Minnesota and an overtime game at Northwestern. The Terps defense doesn’t do a great job of containing penetration, ranking bottom third in the country in average shot distance. That’s impactful against a Nebraska offense that is reliant on getting inside and initiating contact, ranking top 50 in free throw rate. 

The strong finishing of players like Williams can open up the floor for Nebraksa who is an average three-point shooting group on a healthy diet of threes. 

Meanwhile, the Nebraska defense does a good job on the glass and shutting off the interior, ranking fourth in the country in average shot proximity. For a Maryland offense that runs through Queen on the post, the team may need to look elsewhere on Sunday afternoon against the strong post defense of Nebraska. 

While Maryland may improve its home record, I think this game will be fairly competitive and the Terps struggle to get the necessary margin to cover the big point spread. 

PICK: Nebraska +7.5

---

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.