Maryland’s head football coach Mike Locksley has delivered a pivotal role in the significant improvement of the team since assuming his position four seasons ago. With Locksley at the helm, the Terrapins’ yearly record has seen consistent progress with the exception of 2020, the season shortened by COVID-19 restrictions.
However, the Terps have failed to meet the expectations of nationwide bettors seeking to cover the spread and among sports betting Maryland backers. Maryland owns one of the worst ATS (against the spread) records in the Big Ten since 2019, Locksley’s inaugural season.
In 43 games, the 53-year-old has been ranked 10th among all eligible head coaches’ ATS record in a competitive Big Ten (first-year coaches entering 2023 were not accounted for in our list).
Maryland Terrapins Preseason Odds
Entering the 2023 season, Maryland will be seen as a dark horse in one of America’s toughest conferences, especially in the stacked East Division.
But there is optimism that the Terrapins can be set to improve in the upcoming season. Their total wins projection is currently at 7.5 (at +110 odds) by Caesars Maryland Sportsbook. Maryland was 7-5 in the regular season in 2022 before a bowl victory caped their season at 8-5.
When considering all of the head coaches in the conference and their overall tenures, it is worth exploring which schools have represented the best records against the spread. That might be a hint as to which ones have the potential to become valuable assets in the upcoming college football season.
BetMaryland.com used records from TeamRankings.com to determine which Big Ten football coaches have the best record ATS. For the latest updates and betting analysis on the upcoming Terrapins’ college football season, keep tabs on BetMaryland.com, your source for the best sports betting app Maryland options. Only games from the coach’s current stint were included.
Big Ten Coaches Against Spread
Locksley At Bottom Of Big Ten ATS
During Locksley’s 43 games as the head coach for the Terps, Maryland has only successfully covered the spread 44.2% of the time. His ATS record is 19-24.
Locksley’s Maryland is considered the only middle-tier football program in the bottom three, behind Indiana’s Tom Allen and Rutgers’ Greg Schiano. Allen’s cover rate is 45% in seven seasons, compared to Schiano’s 48.5% cover rate in 34 games.
For backers considering more favorable options, look no further than Illinois’ Bret Bielema, Minnesota’s PJ Fleck, and Penn State’s James Franklin. Bielema has the highest cover rate at 62.5%, followed by Fleck at 57.5% and Franklin at 55.9%.
Maryland – which BetMGM Maryland lists at +6000 to win the conference title and +30000 to win the CFP championship – will be a team to watch. Locksley’s ATS record may not be a reflection of their on-field production. But to show how hard the Big Ten East is, Maryland has +5000 odds at BetMGM just to win the division, meaning that those odds are almost as steep as winning the B1G Championship Game.
The Terrapins have steadily improved over their last three campaigns, finishing 7-6 in 2021 and 8-5 in 2022. As mentioned earlier, the Terps are projected to improve by one game.
Keep checking BetMaryland.com for the latest updates ahead of the 2023-24 college football season, as well as the best Maryland sportsbook promo codes.
