In a battle of two teams that prefer to run the football, Head Coach D.J. Durkin and the Maryland Terrapins (-18) are set to play host to the Illinois Fighting Illini at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Kickoff for this conference game is pegged for 3:30 p.m. ET and fans can catch the action by tuning in to BTN.
Betting Preview: Maryland Terrapins vs. Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois is projected to play the role of underdog and is currently getting 18 points in this Big 10 matchup. In order to take the home favorite, moneyline gamblers would currently have to lay down $1,500 to win $100 back on the Terps (-1500). The Fighting Illini are getting +810 moneyline odds. Vegas has determined the over/under (O/U) to be 53 points. If Maryland gets behind early, it’ll likely produce a worthwhile live betting opportunity.
The line initially opened at -16 and the game’s O/U was originally 54.5, so sharp bettors are hammering both the Terps and the under.
The Fighting Illini are 3-4 against the spread (ATS) and have gained 1.0 unit so far. The team has posted an O/U record of 3-4.
The Terrapins have been a disappointment to moneyline bettors this season, losing 6.5 units. The team is 4-3 ATS and also has an O/U record of 3-4.
The Fighting Illini have gone 3-4 straight up (SU), including 1-3 SU against Big 10 opponents. The Terrapins are 4-3 SU overall and 2-2 SU in conference play.
These two conference foes did not get a chance to play each other a year ago.
The Fighting Illini lost to Wisconsin 49-20 in a blowout where their defense allowed the Badgers to run for 357 yards on 54 rush attempts, including four rush TDs. Jonathan Taylor had a good day for the opposition in that one with 159 rushing yards on 27 attempts. On the offensive side of the ball, the Fighting Illini completed 9-of-21 passes for 90 yards and three interceptions. M.J. Rivers II went seven-for-13 for 80 yards and one interception while AJ Bush completed two-of-eight for 10 yards and two interceptions. Reggie Corbin (100 yards on nine rush attempts, one TD) led the ground attack. Trenard Davis (three receptions, 35 yards) and Carmoni Green (two catches, 28 yards) shared the receiving duties in the defeat.
Maryland was just shut out 23-0 by Iowa. The team’s defensive unit let the Hawkeyes run for 224 yards on 52 rush attempts. Ivory Kelly-Martin put up a solid showing, recording 98 rushing yards on 24 attempts for Iowa. For Maryland, Kasim Hill completed six-of-15 passes for 47 yards and one interception. Anthony McFarland (15 yards on six rush attempts) handled the running game while Johnson (two receptions, 2 yards) and Taivon Jacobs (one catch, 11 yards) led the pass-catching attack in the loss.
Illinois has run the ball on 62.7 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Maryland has a rush percentage of 66.6 percent. The Fighting Illini have produced 226.1 rush yards per game (including 213.5 per game versus Big Ten opponents) and have 14 touchdowns on the ground this year. The Terps are averaging 219.9 rushing yards per game (205.0 in conference) and have 14 total rush TDs.
It seems like the Terps could own an advantage when it comes to efficiency in the ground game, as their running backs has produced 5.8 yards per carry while their defense is allowing 3.4 YPC to opponents. The Fighting Illini have registered 5.3 yards per carry while allowing a YPC of 5.4 to opponents.
The Fighting Illini offense has averaged 146.0 yards through the air overall (131.5 per game against conference opposition) and has five passing scores so far. The Terps have put up 110.0 pass yards per outing (81 against Big 10 competition) and have seven total pass TDs.
Illinois has let opponents run for an average of 222.0 yards and pass for 288.4 yards per game. The Maryland D has allowed 175.3 yards per game to opposing passers and 140.3 yards per game to opposing runners. The Terps are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 3.76 to opponents, while the Fighting Illini have allowed a 6.61 ANY/A.
Hill has been more effective than AJ Bush lately. The Terrapins man under center has an adjusted net yards per pass attempt 4.63 for the year and 3.59 over his past two outings while Bush’s ANY/A is 3.45 and 0.39 over the past two games.
Illinois Fighting Illini at Maryland Terrapins Free Pick
SU Winner: Maryland, ATS Winner: Illinois, O/U: Under
