Maryland Terrapins vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/21/2026

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Venue:  State Farm Center, Champaign, IL

Where to Watch:  Big Ten Network

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Maryland +19.5, Illinois -19.5; Over/Under:  147.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Maryland +19.5, Illinois -19.5; Over/Under:  147.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Maryland +19.5, Illinois -19.5; Over/Under:  147.5 points

Maryland Terrapins:  8-10 (1-6) (16th place, Big Ten)

Illinois Fighting Illini:  15-3 (6-1) (5th place, Big Ten)

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Maryland Terrapins:  1-4  last 5

Illinois Fighting Illini:  5-0  last 5

Maryland is entering this game with an 8-10 record overall, a 1-6 record in conference games, and they are 1-4 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Penn State Nittany Lions in their last game. David Coit led the team in points in that game with 43 while Elijah Saunders was next on the team with 16. David Coit led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Solomon Washington led the team in rebounds with 11. They were 54.1% from the field, 52.9% from 3-point range, and 70.6% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 73.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 78.1 PPG against them. Maryland has an ATS record of 8-10 this season and their O/U record is 12-6.

Illinois is entering this game with a 15-3 record overall, a 6-1 conference record, and they are 9-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in their last game. Zvonimir Ivisic led the team in points in that game with 18 while Keaton Wagler was next on the team with 17. Keaton Wagler led the team in assists with 5 in that game while Zvonimir Ivisic led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 40.7% from the field, 37.1% from 3-point range, and 84.2% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 85.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 67.4 PPG against them. Illinois has an ATS record of 11-7 this season and their O/U record is 6-12.

The current betting odds have Illinois listed as a 19.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Illinois has looked great in their games this season with their 15-3 record overall and their 6-1 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big Ten. They have looked great on their home court too with their 9-1 home record this year. Meanwhile, Maryland hasn't looked good in their games this season with their 8-10 record overall and their 1-6 conference record which has them right near the bottom of the Big Ten. They have been a terrible road team too with their 1-4 road record this season. Maryland has fallen off a lot from where they were last season. They were a solid tournament team last year with a lot of talent, but they lost their head coach and now the team has looked lost under the new head coach. They are off a win over Penn State in their last one, getting their first conference win of the year, but Penn State is also one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. Maryland has been blown out by multiple opponents this year and now they are going on the road to play one of the best teams in the nation. Illinois is ranked inside the top 25 at the moment and they have been rolling in their games lately. They have a 3 point loss at home to undefeated Nebraska which is their only conference loss this year, but they have won 7 games in a row now with a lot of those coming by double digits. They are off a 10 point win over a solid Minnesota in their last one, and they are going to do the same to this Maryland team that has been a disaster all season. The best way to place a bet here is on Illinois to cover the spread in this game. 

Maryland Illinois Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Wednesday, January 21, 2026 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Illinois 88 Maryland 64.

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Maryland Terrapins: 6-21 ATS after a win by 15 points or more. 6-11 ATS after scoring 85 points or more. 12-19 ATS when the total is 140 to 149.5. 9-4 OVER off a home win against a conference rival. 16-10 OVER versus teams who average 6 or less steals/game on the season.

Illinois Fighting Illini: 17-8 ATS when the total is 140 to 149.5. 8-4 ATS when playing against a team with a losing record. 12-3 ATS versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game. 17-9 OVER when the total is 140 to 149.5. 24-10 OVER off a win against a conference rival.

Maryland Terrapins:  L. Sotell (G) Questionable - Undisclosed. P. Payne (F-C) Questionable - Leg. R. Passmore (G) Out - Achilles.

Illinois Fighting Illini:  T. Rodgers (G-F) Questionable - Knee.

“They haven’t blinked in their resilience and willingness to learn.” - Buzz Williams after his team’s win against PSU in their last game. 

"He'll be out for a little bit, expecting a mid-February return." - Brad Underwood on the injury to Kylan Boswell. 

D. Adams 

D. Coit 

A. Mills 

P. Payne 

E. Saunders

K. Boswell 

T. Ivisic 

D. Mirkovic 

A. Stojakovic 

K. Wagler

PPG: Pharrel Payne (17.5)

APG: David Coit (2.8)

Reb/G: Solomon Washington (9.4)

PPG: Keaton Wagler (16.1)

APG: Keaton Wagler (3.8)

Reb/G: David Mirkovic (8.3)

Coaches:

Maryland Terrapins: Buzz Williams (1st season)

Illinois Fighting Illini: Brad Underwood (9th season)