Staff Picks: Who Wins No. 11 Illinois at Maryland?

Is Illinois peaking or just poking its head out for another for another brief glimpse of dominance? Is Maryland DOA or as dangerous as it proved to be a few weeks ago in back-to-back wins at Minnesota and over Iowa? Only one way to find out – when the twain shall meet Sunday afternoon at the XFINITY Center (2 p.m. CT, FOX) in College Park, Maryland.

No. 11 Illinois (23-7, 14-5 Big Ten) is coming off an 80-54 blasting of Oregon, but that followed a blown opportunity against UCLA and a virtual no-show at home againt Michigan. Meanwhile, the Terrapins (11-19, 4-15) are 1-5 since that two-game spurt against the Gophers and Hawkeyes, including a 78-45 humbling by Wisconsin their last time out.

We know who the better team is, but "better" doesn't always win in March. Who gets the nod from our crack Illinois on SI staff? Check it out below:

Jason Langendorf

For all its wobbly moments, Illinois came up just three buckets short of a 17-game win streak feeding into the Michigan game. Yes, that loss matters – the Wolverines could be the Illini's primary competition in both the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAAs – but the 26-point dinging of the Ducks is more indicative of what they're capable of against a collapsing club like Maryland.

Prediction: Illinois 80, Maryland 53

Steve Greenberg

The Terrapins have dropped Big Ten home games against Michigan (by 18), Oregon (by 10), Indiana (by 18), Purdue (by 30), Ohio State (by 20) and Rutgers (by only four!) this season. Other than that, they’ve been dynamite at protecting the ol’ turf. Something’s very wrong if this isn’t a relatively easy couple of hours at the office for the Illini.

Prediction: Illinois 88, Maryland 69

Jackson Langendorf

The Terps have a few microwave scorers capable of going on heaters, and they're also solid on the offensive glass. But as far as positives go, that's about it for Maryland. Buzz Williams' guys stand outside the top 140 in offensive and defensive efficiency (per KenPom). That's a tough feat for any high-major team to accomplish. In other words, Illinois should turn cruise control on early in College Park.

Prediction: Illinois 85, Maryland 68

Maryland coach Buzz Williams — Feb 18, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Buzz Williams yells to his team against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Pranav Hegde

Illinois needs a strong finish to its regular season, and I think it gets exactly that at Maryland. The Terrapins are a tough team to deal with at home, but the Illini should come in with plenty of urgency as postseason play gets closer. Illinois has shown it can dismantle overmatched teams, and this feels like a spot where its shot-making, rebounding and overall toughness show up for a full 40 minutes. The Illini pull away and head into March with momentum.

Prediction: Illinois 78, Maryland 62

Capping off Big Ten play.

🆚 Maryland
⏰ 2 p.m. CT
📍College Park, Md.
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/tTtByOwjBV
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 8, 2026

Jared Shlesky

It has been a rough year for the Terps (11-19 overall, 4-15 in Big Ten Play), and I don't see that changing Sunday against the Illini. Illinois bounced back against Oregon after suffering back-to-back losses, and Maryland has lost five of six. I can see Maryland keeping this game within single digits for a half, but Illinois is simply the better team and should pull away by double digits halfway through the second half.

Prediction: Illinois 77, Maryland 63

Jack Ankony

Maryland doesn’t have much to play for at this point, and that showed in Wednesday’s 33-point loss at Wisconsin. The Terrapins are also at a significant size disadvantage compared to Illinois’ frontcourt, which should create problems on both ends of the floor. Maryland might be able to hang in for 10 to 15 minutes, but expect Illinois’ potent offense to take over in the second half.