With conference tournaments coming into focus, the month of March is heating up in the college basketball world. Sunday’s matchup between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Maryland Terrapins features two teams heading in opposite directions.
As the Illini gear up to continue Big Ten play, the Terrapins look to play spoiler against a Big Ten rival this weekend. This afternoon's clash tips off at 3:00 p.m. ET on FOX.
Below, we’ll break down our Illinois vs. Maryland prediction and picks for Sunday’s game. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Illinois vs. Maryland Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
Under head coach Brad Underwood, Illinois is having a bounce-back campaign after going 22-13 a year ago. The Fighting Illini are 23-7 entering Sunday’s game, ranking 11th in the AP poll and heading into the Big Ten tournament eyeing some momentum.
Maryland, meanwhile, is struggling in head coach Buzz Williams’ first season. After winning 27 games a season ago, the Terrapins are just 11-19 and own the second-worst record in the conference at 4-15.
Illinois and Maryland have met 26 times dating back to 1949. The Terrapins own a 17-9 series lead, including an average margin of victory of 3.9 points.
Illinois vs. Maryland Spread, Over/Under
Illinois enters Sunday’s game as 16.5-point road favorites, returning a 1.05x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
Maryland is a home underdog with a 9.09x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 34 states.
- Spread: Illinois Fighting Illini -16.5
- Over/Under: 145.5
- Game Winner Payout: Fighting Illini 1.05x | Terrapins 9.09x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Illinois vs. Maryland Prediction on Spread
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Illinois vs. Maryland prediction on spread for Sunday, March 8 on PrizePicks.
- Entering Sunday’s game, Illinois is 4-2 against the spread as road favorites. Maryland, meanwhile, is 3-4 as a home underdog.
- Illinois puts up the 20th-most PPG in the nation (84.5), ranking 39th in effective field goal percentage (55.1).
- Defensively, the Illini surrender the eighth-lowest points per shot at 0.994 and cede the fewest free throws each night (12.4 attempts, 9.0 makes).
- The Maryland offense is nothing to write home about, averaging just 69.8 PPG (291st) and shooting 40.4% from the field (349th).
- Do the Terrapins fare better on the defensive end? Not exactly. Williams’ crew owns the 321st-ranked defensive eFG% at 54.8.
Illinois vs. Maryland Picks for PrizePicks Today: 3/8/26
Here are three top Illinois vs. Maryland picks to target for Sunday, March 8 on PrizePicks. Player stat projections via PrizePicks are headlined by G Keaton Wagler, F David Mirkovic, and G Andre Mills.
Illinois G Keaton Wagler vs. Maryland Projection: 26.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Wagler produces 27.4 combined points, rebounds, and assists per game. In conference play, that number is 29.7.
- The true freshman is one of the country’s most prolific scorers, jacking up 5.8 3-pointers on average to the tune of a 42.0% clip.
- The Kansas native has snagged 5 or more rebounds in seven of his last 10 contests, averaging 5.1 boards in that span.
- Maryland’s defense ranks 150th in assist-to-turnover ratio allowed at 1.605. They also allow 0.609 assists per field goal made, sitting 346th.
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Illinois F David Mirkovic vs. Maryland Projection: 21 Pts + Rebs
- Another Illinois freshman, Mirkovic combines for 20.6 points and rebounds each night. That number falls to 19.9 during conference play.
- Despite a slight underperformance relative to Sunday’s projection, Mirkovic has gone for 22+ points and rebounds four times in his last seven outings.
- In his last 14 games, the first-year man is shooting a scorching 41.4% from beyond the arc.
- Per Bart Torvik, among 95 Big Ten players standing 6-foot-9 or shorter, Mirkovic ranks fifth with a 20.2% defensive rebounding rate.
Maryland G Andre Mills vs. Illinois Projection: 15.5 Points
- Thirty games into his debut campaign with the Terrapins, Mills averages 11.8 PPG. That number is 13.1 during conference play, albeit still considerably below this projection.
- There are 33 Big Ten players with a usage rate of at least 23% this year. Mills ranks 28th with a 54.5 true shooting percentage.
- The sophomore guard shoots 36.2% from deep, but the Illini surrender a 3-point percentage of 31.8, ranking 56th nationally.
- Mills draws a tough matchup on Sunday, as Illinois ranks 26th in defensive rating at 98.3, per KenPom.
Make #11 Illinois vs. Maryland Picks on PrizePicks
Illinois vs. Maryland picks are just one of many ways hoops fans can get in on the daily college basketball action.
You can make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 34 states.
Stick around with the Playbook for continued CBB predictions, picks, and news.
