Maryland football opens as 16-point underdog vs. Iowa

The Maryland football team is a significant underdog in this Saturday's game against Iowa, according to odds released by Odds Shark. The Hawkeyes have opened as 16-point favorites against the Terrapins.

A wide spread isn't surprising. Maryland is 2-5 after falling Saturday to Penn State, winless in three tries in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes are 7-0 and have the inside track on the Big Ten West division title, and they're playing at home. The Hawkeyes have a challenging atmosphere in Kinnick Stadium, their 70,000-seat home in Iowa City.

SB Nation's Bill Connelly's statistical model gives Maryland an 8 percent chance to win and projects a 24-point margin of victory for the hosts. Given that – and Maryland's propensity to lose huge in every loss until Saturday's – the 16-point spread might not make the Hawkeyes an unappealing bet.

Anyway, the game will mark a chance for Maryland to play spoiler. The Hawkeyes have a very real shot to go undefeated in the regular season,as wicked as that may sound, and Maryland could rain on what's becoming an increasingly festive Iowa parade.