It is the Maryland Terrapins on the road against the Illinois Fighting Illini on Wednesday night in a Big Ten matchup between teams trending in opposite directions. Maryland enters at 8–10 overall, while Illinois is ranked No. 11 nationally and sits at 15–3.
Maryland snapped a four-game losing streak in its last outing, rolling past Penn State with a 96-point performance on Sunday. That losing stretch dated back to December 28 and included home losses to Oregon and Indiana, along with road defeats at UCLA and USC. After this game, the Terrapins finish January on the road at Michigan State before hosting Purdue on February 1.
Illinois has won seven straight games and has not lost since December 13, when it fell at home to Nebraska. Since the start of conference play, the Illini have collected wins over Penn State, Rutgers, Iowa, Northwestern, and Minnesota. Their most recent victory came against the Golden Gophers, pulling away in the second half for a 10-point win. Illinois travels to Purdue next in a major Big Ten showdown.
Maryland vs. Illinois: When and Where
Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM CT
Location: State Farm Center – Champaign, Illinois
Maryland vs. Illinois: Where to Watch or Stream
TV: Big Ten Network
Streaming: FuboTV
Maryland vs. Illinois: Betting Odds
Spread: Illinois -19.5 | Maryland +19.5
Moneyline: Illinois -4000 | Maryland +1500
Total: 149.5
Maryland vs. Illinois: Series History
All-time series: Maryland leads 17–8
Last meeting: Maryland won 88–65 (March 14, 2025)
Projected Starting Lineups
Maryland Terrapins
#21 Pharrel Payne – 17.5 PPG
#8 David Coit – 15.4 PPG
#1 Darius Adams – 12.6 PPG
#12 Isaiah Watts – 5.4 PPG
#11 George Turkson Jr. – 1.5 PPG
Illinois Fighting Illini
#23 Keaton Wagler – 16.1 PPG
#2 Andrej Stojakovic – 13.5 PPG
#0 David Mirkovic – 12.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG
#13 Tomislav Ivisic – 10.5 PPG
#44 Zvonimir Ivisic – 5.2 PPG
Key Note: Kylan Boswell (#4) is out with a hand injury.
Game Outlook
Illinois has been one of the most consistent teams in the Big Ten, but this will be its first game without Boswell. Maryland is coming off its best offensive performance of the season and could carry some momentum into Champaign. Illinois remains the clear favorite, but conference games rarely go exactly as expected.