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Illinois to Extend Streak
Maryland Huge Underdog on Road in Big Ten
The Maryland Terrapins and Illinois Fighting Illini will do battle in the Big Ten Conference, which is up for grabs.
Momentum is with the Fighting Illini, who have won three consecutive games. NCAA basketball odds have them as firm -11-point favorites, so an easy win is expected.
- Game: Maryland Terrapins (8-5) at Illinois Fighting Illini (10-3)
- Location: State Farm Center
- Day/Time: Thursday, 7 p.m. ET
Maryland Terrapins vs Illinois Fighting Illini
Terps Struggling in Conference Play
The Maryland Terrapins are 0-2 in the Big Ten Conference, which is serious cause for concern.
They strung together three wins when beating the likes of Florida and Brown, but a recent 80-75 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes has put them on the back foot.
Despite being 8-5, they are only 5-8 against the spread. It was looking much worse, but they covered the spread against Brown and Iowa, which kept bettors happy after they failed to cover a -23½ spread against Lehigh in a 76-55 victory.
There are some betting trends that could favor the Terrapins with the sportsbook. The underdog is 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings and the road team is 4-0 ATS.
That could breathe life into a Terrapins unit that lacks an outstanding player. Eric Ayala leads with 15.2 points per game, but the team averages just 70.7 points. That’s good enough for 209th in the county and they are even worse in field goal percentage.
Maryland has won seven of the last eight games against Illinois, so the +11 is a respectable line.
Cockburn Leading Fighting Illini
The leading force behind the Illinois Fighting Illini is Kofi Cockburn, who is averaging 22.5 points and 11.9 assists.
The center has been a mainstay for the Fighting Illini and that experience is paying off. He’s leading his team to a 10-3 record and they’re a perfect 3-0 in the Big Ten Conference.
After losing to Arizona in a tight 83-79 contest, Illinois has rattled off three consecutive wins. It put the hurt on St Francis before beating Missouri 88-63 and Minnesota 76-53.
The recent win against the Gophers came on the road, so it was a tough effort and Cockburn was the standout with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Coach Brad Underwood is loving his star player.
“I do every day. I’m in awe of him. Everybody sees his power, his aggression, and his almost violence sometimes that he plays with. But how athletic was that dunk? And from where he left from? He does something every day that you just go: ‘OK, I’m glad he’s on our team because nobody else can do that,’” Underwood told TimesNews.
“He is unique. Then you pair that with how good of a young man he is, what a wonderful kid he is, and how good he wants to be — it makes it a joy every day.”
It won’t be easy for the Fighting Illini to cover a double-digit betting online spread, but bettors should be confident with them.
Big Wins Keep Coming
Illinois continues to live up to expectations and we’re confident with the home team.
The Fighting Illini are 7-6 ATS, so bettors have had solid success backing them. Given the recent success against Minnesota and Missouri, they shouldn’t have much trouble beating Maryland.
They are one of our college basketball betting for Thursday, so they’re worth having on your ticket.
