Illinois Football Opens as Small Betting Favorite Over Maryland

Illinois is now 4-3 after winning its last two games against Michigan State and Oregon, and Vegas has the Fighting Illini picking up their third victory in a row.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Illini are 2.5-point favorites over the Maryland Terrapins ahead of this Saturday's showdown in College Park. The betting line opened at a three-point spread before narrowing by half a point. The game's over/under is currently set at 52.5 as of Monday afternoon.

Maryland is trending downward on the season, now 2-5 (0-4 Big Ten) after its fifth consecutive loss. The program parted ways with head coach Mike Locksley after its most recent 37-30 defeat against Rutgers on Oct. 17. Locksley was 39-54 over nine years at Maryland and led the Terps to three consecutive bowl game wins from 2021 to 2023.

The Terps named co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim the interim head coach in the same announcement.

Meanwhile, Illinois' season has balanced itself following a brutal four-week stretch that saw the Illini lose to Duke, Ohio State and Purdue, as well as the departure of defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck.

Since then, the Illini defeated Michigan State on the road in overtime, 38-37, and beat Oregon, 21-10. Those two wins were finished off without starting quarterback Katin Houser as well, who will still be out for at least a few more weeks after breaking his hand. True freshman passer Michael Clayton II has completed 65.4% of his throws for 172 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Saturday's game is set to kick off at 11:00 a.m. CT in College Park and will be broadcast on FS1. By all accounts, the contest against the 2-5 Terrapins is a must-win if Illinois wants to reach a bowl game this season. The Fighting Illini's opponents down the stretch include Nebraska (5-2, 2-2 B1G), No. 7 UCLA (7-0, 5-0 B1G), Iowa (5-2, 2-2 B1G) and No. 20 Northwestern (6-1, 3-1 B1G). Illinois will face both the Bruins and the Wildcats on the road.

Maryland currently has the worst scoring defense in the Big Ten, surrendering an average of 33.3 points per game. The Terrapins also rank 14th in total offense and 15th in total defense.

The sites encourage responsible gambling and provide resources for help. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. The National Council on Problem Gambling help line can be reached at 1-800-522-4700.