Illinois vs Maryland Odds, Pick: Big Ten Betting Guide

Revenge will be on the Fighting Illini's mind when they travel to Maryland on Saturday. After all, one of Illinois' worst performances of the season came against Maryland in last month's home loss. That game ended with drama in the handshake line and a nine-point point victory for the Terps.

Since then, Illinois has worked its way up to eighth in the nation according to KenPom. Led by a powerful offense (sixth in offensive efficiency) that finds mismatches all over the floor, Illinois can outscore anyone. That is usually enough to win, but its defense leaves a bit to be desired and is trending in the wrong direction.

Maryland has been one of the most disappointing teams in all of college basketball this year. The Terps are just 14-11, and after a Round of 32 exit in the NCAA Tournament last year, they brought everyone back. But the resume they've built may not be fit for anything more than the College Basketball Invitational.

The Terps' best performance of the season came in their win over Illinois, but since then, Maryland is just 3-5, a stretch that includes home losses to Michigan State and Rutgers.

Illinois currently sits at second in the Big Ten standings. For most programs that would be a big success, but under Brad Underwood, Illinois expects to compete year in and year out. At this point, Illinois will need some help to make their final home game against Purdue mean something. But it's not out of the question.

The Illini offense is elite. With Terrence Shannon Jr. back alongside Coleman Hawkins and Marcus Domask, Illinois has a variety of different players who can initiate offense, beat their man off the dribble and kick to open shooters. They share the ball, they make shots and they have an alpha in Shannon who can take over when the time calls.

Defensively, Illinois has some issues. Because the Illini rarely play with a traditional point guard or a traditional center, they are vulnerable to explosiveness on the perimeter spots and strong finishers at the rim. Both of these are matchup problems against Maryland, as Jahmir Young and Julian Reese combined for 48 points in the Terps' win in Champaign.

Even if the matchup favors Maryland, it's hard to trust the Terrapins. This team is limited offensively, lacking the shooting to take advantage of defenses that can find answers for Reese or Young.

Maryland shoots just 29% from the outside as a team this season. That ranks 341st in all of college basketball. The problem is the Terps are not much better from inside, where they rank 250th in 2-point%. Put it together and you have the 181st-ranked offense in college basketball.

Luckily, they can win games ugly thanks to their defense. The Terps have been elite in that area, ranking fifth nationally in defensive efficiency since the start of the season. They held Illinois to 67 points in Champaign, and that will need to be the recipe for them to earn another victory.

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The Illinois offense is simply too good to be shut down by Maryland's defense again. Expect the Illini to put forth a strong effort in a revenge spot. Take them to cover.

Pick: Illinois -2