Maryland football opens as hefty underdogs vs. second-ranked Indiana ahead of November slate

Ahmed Ghafir
6 hours ago
2 min read

After the second and final bye week of the 2025 season, Maryland football is set to face its first ranked opponent of the season. And they’ll do so as hefty underdogs.

Maryland opened as at least a three-touchdown underdog vs. second-ranked Indiana with DraftKings opening as a 21.5-point spread and FanDuel a 23.5-point spread. The over/under also opened at 52.5, a daunting opening line for a Maryland team desperately looking to get back on track.

Maryland is 2-9 as home underdogs since 2021, while the program is in search of its first win against a top-five team since beating fifth-ranked Florida State 20-17 back on Oct. 30, 2004. Indiana leads the all-time series, 8-5, with teams splitting the last two matchups after trading three-game win streaks.

Indiana remained one of five perfect Power Four teams after dominating UCLA, 56-6, on Saturday to move to 8-0 (5-) and into sole possession of first in the Big Ten. Indiana scored in the opening minute before taking a 35-3 lead into halftime as the win not only ended the Bruins’ three-game win streak, but also marked an alarming result given UCLA was coming off a 20-17 win vs. Maryland the week prior.

Saturday’s game also marks the second Big Ten game in 2025 that Maryland will face a former player with RB Roman Hemby, coming off a two touchdown performance on 4.8 yards per carry, set to return to SECU Stadium for the first time since transferring last offseason. Maryland will hope to secure the same result that they did in the first game against a former Terp after the Terps secured a 27-10 week four win over Wisconsin, but in the first of likely two games against ranked opponents with Michigan serving as Maryland’s homecoming game, head coach Mike Locksley will look to lead his team to a hopeful program-defining upset in hopes of a late season turnaround.

“Obviously, we have the bye week coming up, and as always, I evaluate everything that we do, starting with me, myself as to as to what I can do, what I need to do to continue to lead us through these tough finishes that we've had the last three weeks,” Locksley said after the UCLA loss. “But we'll do whatever we have to do to put ourselves in a position to compete and find a way to get back on the right track for homecoming at home against a really strong Indiana team.”

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