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Illinois vs. Maryland Prediction, Odds & Score Picks: Big Ten Quarterfinal Best Bets

Mike Spector

Last Updated: March 14, 2025 12:56 PM EDT • 4 min 51 sec read.

We offer our best Illinois vs. Maryland prediction.
Pictured: The Illinois Fighting Illini bench celebrates after a play during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Photo by Robert Goddin via Imagn Images.

Two AP-ranked teams meet in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament as Illinois faces Maryland. Tipoff from Gainbridge Fieldhouse is set for 6:30 p.m. ET airing on BTN.

Our Illinois vs. Maryland prediction, odds, and expert picks for this Big Ten quarterfinal take into account that the Terrapins beat the Fighting Illini 91-70 on the road on Jan. 23, but recognizes that Illinois was not at full strength in that matchup.

💰 Illinois vs. Maryland predictions, expert picks & best bets: Big Ten quarterfinal

Here are my best Illinois vs. Maryland predictions, expert picks, and best bets today for Big Ten quarterfinal with my pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale. Be sure to check out the rest of our college basketball picks along with our guide on how to bet on college basketball.

👉 Check out our latest March Madness projections with our SBR Bracketology ahead of the NCAA Tournament!

🏀 Illinois vs. Maryland ATS prediction & best player prop bet pick

Here's why I'm betting on Illinois to cover the spread (+1.5) while targeting the first half Under of 75 points as my best player prop bet pick for today:

✅ Illinois to cover the spread (+1.5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From a futures odds perspective, one should be giving a huge advantage to Maryland in this game. The Terrapins have +400 odds at DraftKings to win the Big Ten tournament, while Illinois is one of six teams with +650 odds or shorter.

However, I'm not buying fully into Maryland’s 91-70 road win at Illinois earlier this year, as the Illini were without their 7-foot-1 center Tomislav Ivisic.

Without Ivisic, Maryland’s frontcourt duo of Derik Queen and Julian Reese dominated to the tune of 52 points on a combined 22-of-35 shooting.

Maryland has won seven of eight games entering the tournament, with its only loss in that span coming on a half-court heave by Michigan State to lose by three. 

However, the Terrapins are also overvalued, with six of those wins coming against teams seeded 11th or lower in the conference, and two wins against teams that didn’t even make the conference tournament. 

Illinois’ metrics are still skewed by its recent three-game losing streak during which the team was ravaged by illnesses. The Fighting Illini are healthy now and are ready to prove once again why they should be regarded among the elites of the Big Ten.

I am headed to Caesars for this wager, as it is one of the only best March Madness betting sites charging the standard -110 juice to back the underdogs at a spread as high as +1.5.

📊 Best odds: -110 via Caesars (bet $10 to win $9.09)

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🔥 First half Under 75 points ⭐⭐⭐

Maryland has held its last four opponents to 65 or fewer points. Its most impressive defensive performance in that span came against Michigan State, holding the Spartans to 58 points and 0.84 points per possession.

Maryland knows its best chance at victory is to control the tempo against the fastest paced team in the conference, even though the Terrapins play at the second-fastest pace in league play.

The Terrapins also rank outside the top 315 of D-I teams in bench minutes, so I expect Kevin Willard will try to grind this game to a snail’s pace early, especially in a tournament setting when there are no days of rest.

DraftKings and FanDuel have the first half O/U set a half-point lower at 74.5, so I am taking advantage of the best price and number at bet365.

📊 Best odds: -110 via bet365 (bet $10 to win $9.09)

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🎯 Expert Illinois vs. Maryland score prediction

🔮 Expert score prediction: Illinois 83, Maryland 81

Maryland is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games against AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue. That’s why I’m predicting a final score of Illinois 83, Maryland 81.

📊 Best odds: +18000 via DraftKings (bet $10 to win $1800)

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📊 Live Illinois vs. Maryland odds & latest betting splits

Here are the latest odds for Illinois vs. Maryland, which update live in real time. You can also check out our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool for the latest college basketball odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your region.

🔢 Illinois vs. Maryland opening odds

Here's a look at the opening odds for Illinois vs. Maryland according to BetMGM.

  • Spread: Illinois +1.5 (-110) | Maryland -1.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Illinois +105 | Maryland -130
  • Over/Under: Over 159.5 (-105) | Under 159.5 (-115)

🏆 Who will win Illinois vs. Maryland?

As of Friday morning, Maryland is favored by 1.5 points to beat Illinois with moneyline odds of -118 at BetMGM, which suggest a 54.13% win probability for the Terrapins. We're predicting an 83-81 win for Illinois as our final score projection.

So far, 51% of bettors have wagered against the spread on Maryland -1.5, while 52% of bettors expect the game to finish Over the projected total of 159.5 points.

📺 How to watch Illinois vs. Maryland tonight

📅 Date: Friday, March 14
🕗 Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
📺 TV: BTN
💻 Streaming: Fubo/Sling TV

❓ Illinois vs. Maryland FAQs

Who's favored to win the Big Ten tournament?

Michigan State is favored to win the Big Ten Conference tournament with +360 odds at DraftKings.

Who is favored to win Illinois vs. Maryland?

Maryland is a slight moneyline favorite to beat Illinois. The Terrapins are trading at -120 at our best sports betting apps, giving them a 54.55% implied probability.

What are the betting odds for Illinois vs. Maryland?

The latest spread is Maryland -1.5 (-105) | Illinois +1.5 (-115), with a total ranging between 159 and 159.5 points (-110).

What will be the final score of Illinois vs. Maryland?

We're predicting a final score of Illinois 83, Maryland 81 entering tonight’s matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

What time is Illinois vs. Maryland tonight?

Tipoff for Illinois vs. Maryland is slated for tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET.

⛹️ Best college basketball betting sites

Looking to bet on college basketball tonight? Here are our best March Madness betting sites as determined by our expert team at Sportsbook Review, along with our best March Madness betting promos ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

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Written By:
Mike Spector
Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”