Illinois basketball vs Maryland Terrapins Gameday guide and preview

Illinois basketball will host Maryland on Wednesday night for its eighth Big Ten Conference game of the season. The Illini are ranked No. 11 in the refreshed AP Top 25 poll and are looking to secure their ninth straight win.

Date: Wednesday, January 21
Time: 6:00 p.m. CST
Channel: BTN
Line: Illinois -18.5

Illinois will be without senior guard Kylan Boswell, but the Illini remain heavy favorites. Boswell fractured his hand in practice on Tuesday and is expected to miss at least a month. The timing of the injury is far from ideal, as Illinois is set to face Purdue, Nebraska, and Michigan State on the road over the next few weeks.

Even without their senior leader, Illinois should be able to handle Maryland at the State Farm Center. The Terrapins are just 8–10 on the season, with their lone Big Ten win coming at home against Penn State.

Maryland’s top player, Pharrel Payne, has not played since the December 13 game against Michigan and is not expected to suit up Wednesday. In his absence, 5-foot-11 guard David Coit has stepped into a larger role, highlighted by a 43-point performance against Penn State.

A win on Wednesday would give Brad Underwood his longest regular-season winning streak as Illinois head coach. An eighth straight victory would tie the 2020–21 team, which won eight consecutive games before falling to Loyola Chicago in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament.

Illinois basketball has lost three straight home games to Maryland, including last season’s 91–70 blowout loss. Underwood is just 1–5 all-time against the Terrapins at the State Farm Center, but the Illini should be well-positioned to get back in the win column against a struggling Maryland squad.

Score prediction: Illinois 84, Maryland 67 

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