Illinois and Maryland will meet Saturday in Champaign in a high-stakes Big Ten game that has strong implications with bowl season in mind. The Fighting Illini are 6-3 and coming off a bye week. The Terrapins are 4-5 and need to figure out a way to string some wins together if they want to make it to bowl season. Before kickoff from Champaign, continue reading to get my Illinois vs Maryland prediction.
Our Illinois vs Maryland Pick
- Pick: Maryland +14.5
- Confidence: ★★★☆☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Maryland Terrapins vs Illinois Fighting Illini
- Date & Time: Saturday, November 15, 2025, 3:30 PM ET
- Venue: Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
- Broadcast: FS1
Key Storylines
Illinois enters this game fresh off a 35-13 win over Rutgers to get to six wins and bowl eligibility. The Illini are hoping to build momentum down the stretch to improve their place in the bowl heirarchy and this matchup provides a favorable opportunity for them to get a seventh win. Maryland is desperate for wins late in the season. With a 4-5 record and a 1-5 record in Big Ten play, the Terrapins need to pick up wins in at least two of their remaining games just to reach bowl eligibility.
One of Maryland’s strengths lies in its opportunistic defense. The Terrapins lead the Big Ten and rank second nationally with 17 interceptions. Their turnover margin is +8, which is elite. That said, their offense has been inconsistent and they will need near-perfect execution to pull off an upset this week.
Quarterback Play
Luke Altmyer of Illinois has put together a solid season. He has 2,255 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions. He completes around 70% of his passes and he will try to be efficient through the air in this game as well. The Illinois offense averages 33.1 points per game.
Maryland quarterback Malik Washington has thrown for 2,056 yards with 13 touchdowns and 6 interceptions on the year. Maryland has been held to 20 points or less in three straight games coming into this matchup. Their offense needs to get going if the Terrapins are going to have a chance at reaching bowl season.
Betting Trends
- Illinois is 6-3 against the spread going into this game.
- Maryland is 5-4 against the spread so far this season.
- The over is 5-4 in Illinois’ games so far this year.
- Maryland has gone under the total in 6 of its first 9 games.
Maryland vs Illinois Model Projection
Score Projection: Illinois 35 – Maryland 27
Win Probability: Illinois 88%, Maryland 12%
Final Thoughts
Illinois has been playing better football than Maryland this season. But I’m going to take the points with the Terrapins in this contest. The Terps are a desperate team and trying to keep themselves in the bowl picture here. They should keep this game close, even if Illinois ultimately gets the win on its home turf.
