Illinois vs. Maryland prediction, odds, line: 2022 college basketball picks, Jan. 21 bets from proven model

Mar 20, 2019; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; General overall view of a basketball approaching the rim and net before the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena.

Teams trending in opposite directions meet when the 17th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini battle the Maryland Terrapins in a key Big Ten battle on Friday night. The Fighting Illini (13-4, 6-1), who are tied with Wisconsin for first place in the conference, had a six-game winning streak snapped on Monday when they dropped a 96-88 double-overtime decision to fourth-ranked Purdue. Illinois has won 11 of 13 after a 2-2 start to the season. The Terrapins (9-9, 1-6), who have lost five of six, are coming off an 83-64 loss at Michigan on Tuesday. Maryland leads the all-time series 12-7, including a 5-1 mark at College Park

Tipoff from Xfinity Center in College Park, Md., is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Fighting Illini are seven point favorites in the latest Illinois vs. Maryland odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 140. Before making any Maryland vs. Illinois picks, 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 -7
• Illinois vs. Maryland over-under: 140 points 
• Illinois vs. Maryland money line: Illinois -330, Maryland +260
• 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 

Featured Game| Maryland Terrapins vs. Illinois Fighting Illini MoneylineSpreadTotal MD +250 BET NOW +7-110BET NOW o140-110BET NOW ILL -320 BET NOW -7-110BET NOW u140-110BET NOW

Why Illinois can cover 

The Fighting Illini are looking for their first win at Maryland since Nov. 29, 2011, and their first victory at College Park since the Terrapins joined the Big Ten. Leading Illinois is junior center Kofi Cockburn, who is in the top 10 nationally in both points and rebounds, ranking 10th in scoring at 21.1 points and third in rebounding at 11.8. Cockburn is the sixth player from a high-major conference since 1993 to average 21-plus points and 11-plus rebounds. Despite missing three games, Cockburn still ranks fourth in the NCAA in double-doubles this season with 11. 

Senior guard Alfonso Plummer is coming off a 24-point performance against Purdue. He has reached double digits in 12 games, including in 12 of the past 13 games. Plummer is averaging 19.5 points over the last 13 games, shooting 43.1 percent from 3-point range, while averaging 3.6 made threes per game.

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 that has all the value. 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 has all the value? 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.