Maryland vs. Illinois odds, prediction: 2026 Big Ten picks for March 8 from proven model

The Maryland Terrapins will host the Illinois Fighting Illini on Sunday in the Big Ten and the two teams are on opposite ends of the conference standings. Illinois (23-7, 14-5) is tied for third in the league while Maryland (11-19, 4-15) is 17th in the 18-team conference. This will be the final regular-season matchup for both teams as the 2026 Big Ten Tournament begins on Tuesday.

Tipoff from the Xfinity Center is set for 3 p.m. ET. The Illini are 14.5-point road favorites in the latest Maryland vs. Illinois odds, while the over/under is 144.5. Before making any Illinois vs. Maryland picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered Week 18 on a sizzling 11-1 run on top-ranked over/under picks dating back to last year, and is on an 23-17 run on top-rated CBB side picks. Anyone following could have seen HUGE returns!

The model has simulated Illinois vs. Maryland 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is going Over, and it also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time!

So who wins Maryland vs. Illinois, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Join SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has simulated this matchup 10,000 times!