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For Taulia Tagovailoa, relationships at Maryland outweighed a portal payday

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For Taulia Tagovailoa, relationships at Maryland outweighed a portal payday


INDIANAPOLIS — Taulia Tagovailoa leaned forward and, after a little coaxing, finally said the two words that resulted in many sleepless nights for his head coach, Mike Locksley, this offseason.

“Crazy money,” Tagovailoa said Thursday at Big Ten media day when recalling what it’s like to be a sought-after quarterback in the transfer portal era.

When asked to define what crazy money looks like in college football these days, Maryland’s quarterback said he was offered $1.5 million on behalf of an unnamed SEC team should he transfer this offseason.

“It can be eye-opening, but I think for my situation — if I was in a different situation where maybe I didn’t have a brother in the NFL or maybe my parents, it’d be a different situation,” Tagovailoa said.

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Locksley stirred all spring as his quarterback — the one who transferred from Alabama in 2020 and who holds at least 11 program records — was courted about potentially playing his redshirt senior season elsewhere. Player and coach met to discuss what was unfolding. Tagovailoa said teammates knew, too. Maryland’s spring game was on April 29, one day before the spring transfer portal window closed.

“I knocked on wood before the spring game and many of ya’ll didn’t understand what I was saying,” Locksley said. “You hear the rumors, you know some of the things are going on out there behind the scenes. No, I was not comfortable until I saw him run out after that portal window closed up. But even then, a guy that’s a graduate can still leave and go play somewhere. I haven’t had a lot of nights of great sleep.”

Tagovailoa consulted with his brother Tua, the Miami Dolphins starting quarterback, who asked him what he really wanted to do. Taulia said his legacy and the relationships he has with teammates and coaches outweighed the immediate financial gains.

“It would be hard for me to go to another place and not be happy but have all the money in the world,” he said. “(I’d rather) be at a place where maybe I don’t have as much, but I’m happy and I’m here to work.”

While Tagovailoa spoke of his contentment at Maryland and showed off his new grey suit with his name stitched on the inside — a satisfying NIL perk to him —  across the room at Lucas Oil Stadium was new Purdue quarterback Hudson Card.

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Transfer quarterbacks are aplenty in the Big Ten this season with Card, Wisconsin’s Tanner Mordecai and Nebraska’s Jeff Sims among the contingent at media days who all were playing elsewhere last season.

Card, an Austin, Texas, native who appeared in 22 games (with five starts) during his three years suiting up for his hometown team, said fielding calls from coaches while trying to narrow down transfer destinations is all part of a sometimes overwhelming process.

“It’s the uncertainty,” Card said. “You’re having to kind of restart in a way and meet new people, gain that respect from your teammates, especially when you’re coming in to lead the program. Just a lot of hard work, but work that’s totally worth it in the end.”

Winning over a locker room in a matter of months is no easy feat. Wisconsin teammates recalled looking up Mordecai’s stats at SMU as soon as they found out the former Mustang picked Wisconsin. The 23-year-old knew there was already a culture in place with the Badgers, even though there was a new coaching staff taking over.

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“The hardest part is just the new faces,” Mordecai said. “I felt like my job was just to get to know people, build relationships. … I was just trying to get to know people so I can earn their trust and respect and then work my butt off and know that whenever they watch me work, they know what I’m about.”

Sims joined a Nebraska program with 100-plus players on the team. Fortunately, each locker not has only the player’s name but also a picture, and he also studied the Huskers’ roster on his phone.

“At one point I just knew everybody by their last name,” said Sims, who spent three seasons at Georgia Tech. “I was just calling people by their last name. … If I didn’t know a guy’s name I was just like, ‘What’s up, bro?’ I’d remember his face and then I’d go to his locker and be like that’s his name.

“I see myself as a leader and I knew before I could say anything or lead these guys I had to know them. I can’t go up to a guy and try and tell him to do something if I don’t even know his name.”

Sims said many in the student body didn’t seem to know his name this spring as he made his way around a new campus. That will likely change this fall as he takes over as the starting quarterback.

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Tagovailoa once had that luxury too when he was the new quarterback in town. Now, plenty of fans come up to him when he’s eating on campus or walking around College Park. And he makes sure he gets to know everyone on the team.

“I know how they feel, especially the freshmen or newcomers coming in,” Tagovailoa said. “I try to make them feel like you’re at home.”

Those relationships are worth more than the $1.5 million he could be receiving on another campus.

(Photo of Taulia Tagovailoa: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)





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Penn State a Heavy Favorite Over Maryland in Regular Season Finale

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Penn State a Heavy Favorite Over Maryland in Regular Season Finale


The oddsmakers are expecting Penn State to run away with a victory in its regular season finale against Maryland. The Nittany Lions are a 24.5-point favorite when the Terrapins come to Happy Valley on Saturday.

Penn State is coming off a gritty 26-25 victory at Minnesota in a back-and-forth thriller on Saturday night. The Nittany Lions put the game away with a 5:48 drive to run out the clock that featured three fourth down conversions, including a fake punt that resulted in a 32-yard run by true freshman Luke Reynolds.

Maryland fell to Iowa 29-13 in its home finale on Saturday. The Terps were unable to overcome a 13-0 halftime deceit and an offense that could only produce 227 yards on the day. Maryland enters the game on a four-game losing streak, and have lost six of its last seven. The 4-7 Terps have won only once in Big Ten play, beating USC 29-28 in a fourth quarter comeback.

Penn State beat Maryland 51-15 in 2023 in the teams last meeting. The Nittany Lions and Terps will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, with coverage provided by BTN. The game will serve as Senior Day for Penn State.

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Villanova vs Maryland Prediction, Bet Builder Tips & Odds

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Villanova vs Maryland Prediction, Bet Builder Tips & Odds


Maryland Look the Smart Pick on the Spread

Our best wager is that Maryland are going to cover a generous -6 on the spread. You can get 1.92 that there’s a bigger margin of victory against Villanova.

57-40 Win for Villanova in Pair’s Last Encounter

Villanova Wildcats claimed a victory in their previous game. A 93-49 home win occurred against Pennsylvania Quakers.

Maryland Terrapins won their last game, beating Canisius Golden Griffins at home. It was a 108-37 win.

Villanova beat Maryland in their last head-to-head matchup. It was a 57-40 scoreline.

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Expert College Basketball Analysis

The college basketball forecasts are only made once we have established the latest team news. It’s also important to study the form and investigate the most relevant stats to get the full picture.

Key Villanova vs Maryland stats:

  • The -6 line has been covered by Maryland in 4 of their last 5 games.
  • The -6 line has been covered by Maryland in 13 of their last 20 games at home.
  • The +6 line hasn’t been covered by Villanova in 6 of their last 10 games on the road.
  • The +6 line hasn’t been covered by Villanova in 3 of their last 5 games.

We’re excited to see Maryland at -6 on the spread in this college matchup. We think it’s a great number for the betting favorites to cover at odds of 1.92.

If you’re looking for a bigger potential return on your stake, there is always the option to move the line. Consider the betting odds and whether each line can be covered.

Maryland -6 Probability

The sportsbooks imply that our pick has a 52.1% prospect of winning. Taking all factors into consideration, our cappers think there’s a stronger chance of success and have a probability interval between 55-60%. That means we’re regarding it as a value wager.

Villanova vs Maryland Prediction

Maryland -6 @ 1.92

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Bet Now

Gamble responsibly 18+. All odds are correct at time of publishing and are subject to change. To use the Bookmaker Live Streaming services you will need to be logged in and have a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours. Geo-restrictions apply.

Published 03:52, 24 November 2024

Correct Score Prediction

Rather than betting on the Terps to win, there’s the option to try your luck when it comes to the correct score lines. Take a chance on a 74-63 triumph in their favor.

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Villanova vs Maryland Odds

The odds and lines are updated on a frequent basis. You might therefore find that they are different to the ones listed for the betting predictions and bet builder tips.

Latest Moneyline Odds Suggest Maryland Victory

Maryland have the shortest price to win this college game, with the sportsbooks giving them a 70% probability due to their 1.43 Moneyline betting odds. The market suggests that Villanova are least likely to win at 2.80.

6 is where the spread lies, with total points being 140 right now. There are many ways to bet on basketball including the Totals. Those that want to back Under 140 can find odds of 1.91 available.

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The betting sites offer stacks of team props and game lines when it comes to most college basketball contests. Make sure you look through all the available options before deciding which bet to place.

Betting Lines & Odds

Moneyline


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Point Spread


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Total Points


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Player Props & Micro Betting

There is regularly betting value to be found from wagering on the player props with the best online gambling sites. You can find lots of ways to back for or against a specific player lining up for one of the two teams.

Micro betting provides a rollercoaster ride for college basketball bettors. It can be great to enjoy the live lines, with the opportunity to bet on the Next Field Goal. Watch the live action before deciding which way to go.

Team Stats

Latest regular season and playoff games stats.

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Villanova Stats


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Maryland Stats

Moneyline

  • 4 wins and 6 defeats in the last 10 games
  • 2 wins and 8 defeats in the last 10 games on the road

Moneyline

  • 5 wins and 5 defeats in the last 10 games
  • 6 wins and 4 defeats in the last 10 home games

Point Spread

Point Spread

Total Points
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Instant Analysis: Illinois Basketball Dominates Maryland Eastern Shore 87-40

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Instant Analysis: Illinois Basketball Dominates Maryland Eastern Shore 87-40


Coming off its first loss of the season, No. 25 Illinois took the floor at its State Farm Center home in Champaign on Saturday with plenty of motivation against struggling Maryland Eastern Shore.

So even when the Illini showed up with something less than their sharpest weapons, they managed to hammer the Hawks with size, muscle and blunt-force effort in an 87-40 runaway win.

An excellent defensive performance helped stake Illinois (4-1) to an early lead against the Hawks (2-6), allowing the opportunity for more floor time for its non-starters, including freshman Morez Johnson Jr., who had career highs of 10 points and 13 rebounds in just 13 minutes. Freshman forward Will Riley led the Illini with 19 points off the bench – all in the second half – and junior guard Kylan Boswell continued his recent upswing with 13 points, four rebounds and another sinister defensive performance.

After falling to No. 8 Alabama on a middling shooting night, Illinois came out clanking in the first half against the Hawks, “hitting” an atrocious 4-for-21 3-pointers (19.0 percent) before the break. But the Illini’s suffocating defense turned that blemish into an inconsequential blip.

Illinois held Maryland Eastern Shore to 7-for-33 field-goal shooting (21.2 percent) in the first half – including 1-for-12 from 3-point range – and forced 10 turnovers. The Hawks seemed to not know what hit them – and, as Mike Tyson might have noted, certainly had no plan after getting punched in the face. The Illini seemingly cut off every avenue on their opponents, who finished the first half with no assists.

After halftime, Riley was ablaze, pulling up for feathery jumpers and slinking to and around the rim for all-angles buckets that came easily for an 18-year-old in just his fifth college game. The outsized Illini annihilated the Hawks on the boards, 59-38, and held them to 22.1 percent field-goal shooting for the game.

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Top 5 Must-Watch Matchups for Illinois Basketball in 2024-25





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