Opponent: No. 19 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-0)
Location: Xfinity Center, College Park, Maryland
Tipoff: 6 p.m. EST, Monday, Dec. 14
Last matchup: March 3, 2020 — Rutgers, 78-67
Last game: Maryland lost to Clemson 67-51, Rutgers beat Syracuse, 79-69
Line: Maryland -2 per OddsShark
TV: BTN — Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Stephen Bardo (analyst)
Stream: BTN+
Radio: Maryland Sports Radio Network (105.7 FM Baltimore, 980 AM D.C., TuneIn Radio App) — Johnny Holliday (play-by-play), Chris Knoche (analyst)
What to watch for Maryland: Do they bounce back at home?
The Terps lost their first game of the season facing off against Clemson in the ACC/Big Ten challenge, in what was an ugly offensive showing. Starting conference play against an undefeated Rutgers team, Maryland has an opportunity to get back on track as they look to defend their first-place conference finish from 2019-2020. With more questions than answers after losing Anthony Cowan Jr. and Jalen Smith, this first Big Ten matchup could set the course for the rest of the season.
What to watch for Rutgers: Do they get caught looking ahead?
Following their game against Maryland, Rutgers will face-off against ranked teams in back-to-back games, playing Illinois and Ohio State. It could be easy to shift focus ahead to those games, which could hurt them in this matchup. The Big Ten is expected to be one of the best conferences in the nation once again this season, and not taking each opponent seriously could wind up being disastrous, regardless of matchup.
