An invitation to the Big Dance seems unlikely for the Illinois Fighting Illini. But even so, that won’t stop them from trying to get one over the heavily-favored No. 14 Maryland Terrapins, who are looking to garner all the momentum they can before their campaign ends.
Tonight marks the first and only time this season that these two programs will be going at one another. Who will come out on top? Will the Fighting Illini shock the world? Or will the Terps emerge triumphant as most expect? Read on below and take a closer look at this Big Ten matchup.
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Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Maryland Terrapins Preview
Where: XFINITY Center, College Park, Maryland
When: Thursday, March 3, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Illinois Fighting Illini (+15) vs. Maryland Terrapins (-15)– view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Illinois Fighting Illini (13-16, 5-11 Big Ten)
Following a humiliating loss to Indiana, the Illinois Fighting Illini managed to regain some of their dignity when a depleted Minnesota team paid them a visit on Sunday.
In that game, the Fighting Illini started off on the wrong foot as they were outscored in the first half by eight points. But after that slow beginning, Kendrick Nunn, who is averaging 16.4 points this season, got hot and quickly turned things around for his team.
Nunn scored 16 of his game-high 25 points in the second half to help Illinois take control and eventually notch the 81-74 win. Expect him to try and carry a lot of the scoring load again when they take a trip to the XFINITY Center for a date with the No. 14 Maryland Terrapins.
Of course, Nunn’s going to need some help if the Fighting Illini hope to hang around with the Terrapins, who are putting up 77.9 points at home. Well, not to worry because there’s Malcolm Hill who can definitely give Illinois some more fire power.
Hill currently leads the team in scoring with 18.2 points and is grabbing 6.6 rebounds this season. He’ll be entering this matchup fresh off a solid performance (22 points, seven boards, five assists) over the Golden Gophers. Hill has also managed to score 20 or more points in three of his previous five contests.
Illinois is 2-8 SU and 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games on the road.
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Betting on the Maryland Terrapins (23-6, 11-5 Big Ten)
This is definitely not the way that the No. 14 Maryland Terrapins want to close out their season. Presently, they haven’t been playing like a title contender, as they’ve lost three of their last four games heading into this matchup with the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Maryland’s most recent loss came against Purdue on Saturday, during which the Boilermakers gutted out the 83-79 triumph thanks to a stellar effort from A.J. Hammons, who finished with 19 points and seven rebounds.
Moving on, the Terrapins will now look to garner some momentum before their regular-season finale with the 12th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers. And if it still isn’t obvious, the trio of Melo Trimble, Robert Carter and Diamond Stone will be leading the attack opposite a very shaky Illinois defense that’s allowing 74.8 points this season.
Trimble, who holds team-highs of 14.2 points and 5.2 dimes, tallied 19 points and dished out five assists in the loss to the Boilermakers. However, most of his points came from the charity stripe, as he continued to struggle with his stroke. Trimble has gone 11-of-47 (23.4%) from the floor in the past four contests.
Carter and Stone, meanwhile, have had their share of good moments this season. Both are posting double-figures in points with 12.5 and 13.0, respectively. Stone, in particular, has also made his presence known on the other side of the court with 1.8 blocks per outing. His defensive prowess will surely make life tougher—especially in the paint—for the Fighting Illini.
Maryland is 7-3 SU and 4-6 ATS in its previous 10 games as the favorites.
Writer’s Prediction
Maryland (-15) wins it, 75-60.
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