The Maryland Terrapins look to continue their home dominance over the No. 17 ranked Illinois Fighting Illini when they meet in Big Ten Conference action on Friday night. The Terrapins (13-4, 6-1), who lead the all-time series 12-7, are 5-1 in home games against Illinois, including a 3-0 mark as members of the Big Ten. The Fighting Illini (13-4, 6-1), who are looking for the season sweep over Maryland, defeated the Terrapins 76-64 in Champaign, Ill., on Jan. 6. Illinois is 3-1 on the road this season, while Maryland is 6-5 at home.
The game from Xfinity Center in College Park, Md., is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. ET. Illinois is averaging 80.2 points per game, while Maryland averages 70.5. The Fighting Illini are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Illinois vs. Maryland odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 137.5. Before laying any Illinois vs. Maryland picks down, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,400 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Illinois vs. Maryland and locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Illinois vs. Maryland:
- Illinois vs. Maryland spread: Illinois -4.5
- Illinois vs. Maryland over-under: 137.5 points
- Illinois vs. Maryland money line: Illinois -200, Maryland +170
- ILL: The Fighting Illini are 5-1 against the spread in their last six Friday games
- MD: The over is 5-0 in the Terrapins' last five games following an ATS loss
Why Illinois can cover
Senior guard Trent Frazier, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, is coming off a 16-point effort against Purdue, the fourth consecutive game he has reached double figures. For the season, Frazier is averaging 13.4 points, 3.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He is connecting on 41.9 percent of his field goals, including 36.3 percent from 3-point range, and 85.7 percent of his free throws. Frazier is No. 11 on the Illinois scoring list with 1,635 points, 18 away from cracking the all-time top 10.
Senior guard Jacob Grandison is fourth on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game, and is shooting 45.2 percent from 3-point range. He is 12th in the league in 3-pointers made at 2.2. He has reached double-figuring scoring nine times this season, including 21 points at Iowa on Dec. 6. Grandison scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Dec. 18, scoring his 1,000th career point on a 3-pointer to open the second half.
Why Maryland can cover
All-Big Ten Conference senior Eric Ayala continued his torrid scoring pace in league play, scoring 22 points at Michigan on Tuesday. Ayala ranks seventh in scoring in Big Ten action, averaging 17.9 points per game. Ayala is just 12 points away from becoming the 29th player in Maryland history to record 1,300 career points. He is also seventh in program history with 195 career made 3-pointers.
Also powering the Terrapins is senior guard Fatts Russell, who is averaging 12.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and four assists per game. Russell has reached double-figure scoring in five of the past seven games, including a season-high 23 points in a double-overtime win at Northwestern on Jan. 12.
How to make Illinois vs. Maryland picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the point total, projecting 141 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick where one side covers in over 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model's Maryland vs. Illinois picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Illinois vs. Maryland? And which side of the spread covers over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Illinois vs. Maryland spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,400 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
