Maryland Terrapins at Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Preview

The bedlam that is the Big Ten continues Friday night with a massive showdown between the No. 9 Maryland Terrapins and the No. 20 Illinois Fighting Illini. At home, Illinois is a three-point favorite with an over/under of 133.5 points.
Not only are the Terrapins a top 10 team at the moment, but they are tied with Illinois for first place in the Big Ten. Part of that is due to a recent slump by Michigan State. However, Maryland is also riding a five-game winning streak, taking it to 8-3 in Big Ten play and 18-4 overall. That stretch has included road wins over both Northwestern and Indiana.
Of course, Illinois being at the top of the Big Ten standings along with Maryland is a bit of a surprise, especially coming off a loss to Iowa over the weekend. That loss snapped the Illini’s seven-game winning streak, which is why they were able to cling to first place.
However, that game against Iowa began a stretch of four of the next five games coming against ranked teams, so the challenges continue for Illinois moving forward.
Dynamic Duo
The tandem of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn has helped carry the Illini to the top of the Big Ten standings. Despite a subpar performance against Iowa, Dosunmu is leading Illinois in scoring with close to 16 points per game.
The Illini have also received a massive boost this year from freshman center Kofi Cockburn. The 7-foot, 290-pound big man also stumbled against Iowa over the weekend, but he looks like a polished center and has two double-doubles in his last four games.
In addition to those two, Illinois is getting steady contributions from Andres Feliz and Trent Frazier, who are both averaging at least 10 points per game. Frazier is the team’s best outside shooter, knocking down 37 percent of his shots from the perimeter this season. When he gets into a rhythm shooting the ball, he can take Illinois to another level.
Mirror, Mirror
Likewise, Maryland is led by an outstanding inside-outside tandem. Forward Jalen Smith is averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds per game and has recorded a double-double in each of Maryland’s wins during the current five-game winning streak.
At the same time, Anthony Cowan Jr. remains the team’s best player and leading scorer. He’s scoring over 16 points per game, including a 31-point effort in a massive win over Iowa last week.
The Terrapins have a solid supporting cast as well. Aaron Wiggins and Eric Ayala are X-factors in every game because of the way they can shoot from the outside despite modest numbers on the season.
Darryl Morsell is also becoming a regular contributor for Maryland, scoring in double figures in three straight games to help push the Terrapins across the finish line in some close games.
Turtle Attack
There’s no doubt that this will be a close game, but the Terrapins are a little deeper, a little more experienced, and a little better defensively. Even on the road, those small advantages should make a difference. Bet on Maryland to win Friday night against Illinois.