Military Bowl Betting – Military Bowl Takes A Surprising Late Twist
The Maryland Terrapins are shaking up their coaching staff. That’s the central drama now surrounding the 2010 Military Bowl.
NCAA football betting: East Carolina Pirates vs. Maryland Terrapins
Online Betting Odds: Maryland -7
Why To Bet On East Carolina
The hidden detail in this game – which also doubles as a very good reason why this game in Washington, D.C., could be very exciting – is that the East Carolina Pirates’ quarterback, Dominique Davis, used to play the same position for the Boston College Eagles. Davis faced the Maryland Terrapins during the 2008 season, so he has a feel for what he's up against inside the former home of the NFL's Washington Redskins. Davis will certainly relish the opportunity to take down an ACC foe after his move to a less-imposing conference.
The other main reason to take East Carolina in this game is that Maryland could very well be a distracted team. The Terps were headed into this bowl game with a full head of steam, but now that coach Ralph Friedgen has been ousted in a power play by the school’s administration – with no coach (at press time) having been named to replace him – Maryland could be a headless horseman in the nation’s capital. Moreover, James Franklin – a member of Friedgen’s coaching staff – just took the head coaching job with the Vanderbilt University Commodores, further depleting the Terrapins’ amount of brainpower on the sidelines.
This is certainly a situation in which the players on the Terps’ roster could be distracted, depressed, or a combination of the two. East Carolina could certainly reap the benefits of Maryland’s multi-pronged coaching drama in the weeks before kickoff.
Why To Bet On Maryland
Both of these teams must find a way to play a lick of defense, but the matter is particularly urgent for the Pirates and head coach Ruffin McNeill. ECU gave up 76 points in a loss to Navy this past season. Aside from that defensive disaster, the Pirates gave up more than 40 points on multiple occasions as well.
This team would have finished with a particularly gleaming record if it had been able to slow down opposing offenses to the slightest possible degree. However, East Carolina instead had to settle for a break even record at 6-6. So what if Maryland has a lame-duck head coach (Ralph Friedgen) and a goner from the ranks of Friedgen’s lieutenants (James Franklin)? East Carolina’s defense – or lack thereof – will make Maryland look good in the game that was formerly known as the EagleBank Bowl but has now been given a new name. Any red zone defense ECU can display will be extremely rare… and quite unexpected.
How The Game Will Play Out
Maryland will simply be able to do whatever it wants, and East Carolina will not be able to keep pace. The stronger Terrapins, who have a very promising young quarterback in Danny O'Brien, are well-positioned to win this game. They'll do so comfortably in the Military Bowl.
East Carolina Maryland Betting Pick: Maryland
