College Basketball Wednesday Preview: Florida International vs. Maryland

The Florida International Golden Panthers (3-6) and Maryland Terrapins (5-3) will meet up Wednesday night inside the Comcast Center in College Park, Maryland on ESPN.

Florida International Golden Panthers at Maryland Terrapins

Maryland Terrapins guard Terrell Stoglin is the only ACC player averaging over 20 points per game

Florida International enters Wednesday’s contest with a 3-6 record following a 58-56 win at Stephen F. Austin, which actually snapped a three-game losing streak.  The Golden Panthers have tallied a 3-1 ATS mark as a double-digit underdog this year.

Senior guard DeJuan Wright is the leader on the floor offensively, averaging 17.0 points per game, which actually leads the Sun Belt Conference.  He also leads the team and ranks third in the conference in averaging 7.0 boards per contest.

The Golden Panthers are going to have a hard time pulling off an upset in this matchup, as head coach Isiah Thomas enters with a 21-50 record and will be facing Maryland for the second time in school history.  The first meeting resulted in a 117-70 loss on Nov. 25, 1997.

Success against ACC opponents hasn’t been found for this less-than-stellar program, posting a 3-30 all-time mark in such games.  Offensively, the team is shooting 41.8 percent from the floor and 33.8 percent from three-point range.

Bettors will find that the Golden Panthers are 2-0 ATS as a road underdog of 12.5 or more points this year, while going 8-4 ATS in this situation the last two-plus years.

Maryland continues its six-game homestand and is currently riding a two-game winning streak for the first time this season, defeating Notre Dame and Mount St. Mary’s.  The Terrapins were led by sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin last time out, as he scored 20-plus points for the sixth time this year.

Junior forward James Padgett is also starting to become a force over the past four contests, scoring in double figures in each, averaging 13.3 points per game over that span.  He is shooting .514 from the floor in those four games, while leading all ACC players in averaging 4.1 offensive rebounds per game.

The Terrapins are 80-8 in non-conference games in the Comcast Center, including a 20-2 mark in the last 22.  From a betting perspective, Maryland is 0-3 ATS over the last two-plus seasons as a home favorite of 12.5 to 15 points.

Stoglin is the man to watch on the court, leading all ACC players in scoring at 22.5 points per game.  He’s actually the only player in the conference that’s averaging more than 20 points a night.  Much was expected from him due to being the second-leading scorer in Arizona history in high school.

Bettors will likely back the Terrapins due to their 4-0 ATS mark versus losing opponents, while the Golden Panthers are 9-10 ATS in non-conference games.

Recommendation: Maryland Terrapins -12