It’s been a banner year for sports teams from the Annapolis area, whether it’s the Baltimore Orioles making their way back to the postseason for the first time in more than half a decade or the Baltimore Ravens looking like one of the top teams in the NFL right now. The University of Maryland’s men’s and women’s basketball teams both made it to their respective March Madness tournaments, with the women’s basketball tema making it all the way to the Elite Eight in doing so.
The Terps football team, meanwhile, qualified for a bowl game after finishing their regular season with a 7-5 record. As the holiday season continues to pick up and you look for fun things to do during your time off, here’s a list of some of the best upcoming sports games on the calendar that you won’t want to miss.
Miami Dolphins vs Baltimore Ravens: New Year’s Eve
Right now the Ravens sit as one of the best teams in the AFC, tied with the Miami Dolphins for the best record in the conference at 9-3. The Ravens fall to the No. 2 seed because of a tiebreaker, and they have a pretty tough schedule coming up as they’ll face the San Francisco 49ers on the road on Christmas before returning home to host the Ravens on New Year’s Eve.
Only the top seed in each conference receives a first-round playoff bye this year, so the clash between the Dolphins and the Ravens will likely determine who has to test their luck on Wild Card Weekend and who has a chance to heal up for the stretch run.
Both the Dolphins and Ravens boast top ten scoring offenses, so there’s a good chance you’ll get to see some fireworks if you make the trek to see these teams play. After a rash of injuries to starting quarterbacks in the AFC like Aaron Rodgers, Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett and Anthony Richardson, Baltimore and Miami are two of the only healthy teams left.
If they’re able to eke out a hard-fought win, they’ll likely have the inside track to an appearance in Super Bowl LVIII: right now, the Ravens have the second best odds of winning the Super Bowl of any team in the AFC, listed just behind the Kansas City Chiefs at or around +600. Be sure to use a Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Code if you want to bet on the Ravens so that you know you’re locking in the best possible odds of winning big.
Terps vs Tigers: Music City Bowl
One of the best things about College Football’s bowl game system is that it gives fans a great excuse to take a vacation somewhere sunny and cheer their team to victory. While the Terps weren’t able to get one of the game’s premier options like the Orange Bowl in Florida or the Rose Bowl in Pasadena this year, the Music City Bowl in Nashville is an excellent consolation prize.
First off, Nashville is a ten hour drive from the College Park area: no easy feat, but a perfectly doable length for a road trip. Second, there’s plenty to do in Tennessee’s capital besides the bowl game. If you’re a country music fan, Music City has to be on your bucket list. The bowl game is set for 2 pm on December 30, which is something to keep in mind. It’ll be a pretty quick turnaround back to the Bay State if you want to catch the Dolphins vs Ravens game the next day too.
Basketball Galore
In terms of pure atmosphere and excitement, it’s hard to find a sport much better than college basketball. Whether it’s the postseason tournament famed for its unpredictability or the shocking joy of a powerhouse losing a buy game, it feels like any team has a legitimate chance at victory on any given day. Each game will have highs, lows and plenty of excitement.
The Terrapins have struggled to begin the year, with the women’s team sitting at 6-3 and the men’s team at an ugly 4-4 through the first month of non-conference play. They may not be as strong as they were last year, but the beauty of college basketball is that you just never know. With the combination of affordable pricing and a fan-focused atmosphere, watching a Terps game or two this winter is a great thing to do, even if you’re just looking for something to tide you over until baseball season starts.
