College Basketball Free Play: Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Maryland Terps – Jan 23 2025

The Maryland Terrapins (14-5) head to the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois, to take on the 17th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini (13-5) on Thursday, January 23 at 9:00 PM ET. The Fighting Illini are favored to succeed with a point spread at -7.5 (-105 MyBookie).

Maryland Terrapins Betting Preview

The Terrapins are 3-2 over their latest five matchups, with a recent 69-66 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Even with the two losses in this stretch, they were by four points or less.

Maryland was able to keep the lead after the first half, which was at 37-35. Ja’Kobi Gillespie led with 22 points and five assists, while Rodney Rice contributed 15 points to help stimulate the offense.

According to the stat sheet, this was a close game regardless of the three-point differential. Both teams shot around 45 percent, nearly 38 percent from deep, and grabbed about 34 rebounds. One area that had a bigger impact was three-point shooting, where the Terrapins made 10 compared to the Cornhuskers’ six.

The Terrapins are averaging 83.2 points a game and shooting 48.7 percent from the field. On defense they have held teams to 64.5 points a game, leaving a good amount of margin for error.

Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Preview

The Fighting Illini had a tough loss against the 12th-ranked Michigan State Spartans in their latest battle, which ended 80-78. They have gone 3-2 in their latest five showings, so they have some work to do in order to get back on track.

They were tied at the half with 36 and even had a narrow lead for a majority of the game. Will Riley finished with 19 points off the bench, with starters Kylan Boswell and Tomislav Ivisic both adding 13.

Their play on both ends of the floor were great here, as they kept the Spartans to a below-average shooting night from the field (43.1 percent) and from deep (30.0 percent). However, their own shooting from deep (5-24) killed their chances at winning this game, as they relied on too many big shots from beyond the arc to win.

The Fighting Illini are producing 86.8 points and are making 44.9 percent of their shots. Their defense is holding opponents to 68.0 points a game. This offers a good margin of safety, but they must stay strong on the defensive end.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie has you covered for the best Maryland Terrapins vs. Illinois Fighting Illini betting odds. Current betting odds show the Fighting Illini favored by 7.5 points.   

The Fighting Illini have a 74.2 percent chance of winning, according to market analysis. They looked good against the Spartans, and should be able to bounce back to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Illinois Fighting Illini -7.5 (-105)