Maryland vs. Illinois odds, spread: 2023 college football picks, Week 7 predictions from proven model

Maryland (5-1) will try to bounce back from its first loss of the season when it hosts Illinois (2-4) on Saturday afternoon. The Terrapins entered last week’s game against Ohio State with a perfect record, but they were unable to keep pace with the Buckeyes in the second half of a 37-17 final. Illinois has lost four of its last five games, including a 20-7 setback against Nebraska last Friday. Maryland beat Illinois by three points in the most recent meeting, which came in 2021. 

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at SECU Stadium in College Park. Maryland is favored by 14 points in the latest Maryland vs. Illinois odds, while the over/under is set at 51 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Illinois vs. Maryland picks, you’ll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of more than $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Illinois-Maryland. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football betting lines for the game:

• Maryland vs. Illinois spread: Maryland -14
• Maryland vs. Illinois over/under: 51 points
• Maryland vs. Illinois money line: Maryland: -589, Illinois: +428
• Maryland vs. Illinois picks: See picks here
• Maryland vs. Illinois live stream: fubo (try for free)

Why Maryland can cover

Maryland got off to an impressive start this season, scoring at least 31 points in all five of its wins. The Terrapins jumped out to a 10-0 lead against No. 4 Ohio State last week and held a 17-10 lead in the third quarter before eventually coming up short. They will be happy to return home, where they have scored at least 38 points in every game at SECU Stadium this season. 

Senior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa has racked up 1,660 yards and 14 touchdowns, with five of those scores coming against Indiana two weeks ago. Illinois has lost four of its last five games by double digits, including a 20-7 loss to Nebraska last week as a 3-point favorite. The Fighting Illini have failed to cover the spread in seven consecutive games, while Maryland has covered in six of its last nine games. 

Why Illinois can cover

Illinois has held five of its six opponents to fewer than 35 points this season, including last week’s 20-7 loss to Nebraska. A similar defensive effort on Saturday afternoon would make it difficult for Maryland to cover a two-touchdown spread. Offensively, junior running back Reggie Love III has rushed for 252 yards and a touchdown, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. 

Junior wide receiver Isaiah Williams leads the team with 38 receptions for 503 yards as quarterback Luke Altmyer’s favorite target. They are facing a Maryland defense that has allowed at least 17 points in three of its five games, giving up a season-high 37 points to Ohio State last week. Illinois has covered the spread in eight of its last 11 road games, while Maryland has failed to cover in six straight games against Big Ten West opponents. See which team to pick here. 

How to make Maryland vs. Illinois picks

The model has simulated Illinois vs. Maryland 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Maryland vs. Illinois, and which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Illinois vs. Maryland spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer model that’s up more than $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks since its inception, and find out.