Illinois Fighting Illini vs Maryland Terrapins Prediction, 10/31/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Illinois Fighting Illini vs Maryland Terrapins

Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026

Location: SECU Stadium in College Park, MD

TV: FS1

Odds/Point Spread: Terrapins (+2.5)

Total/Over-Under: 52.5

The Maryland Terrapins (2-5) will go up against the Illinois Fighting Illini (4-3) at SECU Stadium on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Maryland opens this game as 2.5-point dogs. The total comes in at 52.5.

The Illinois Fighting Illini step onto the field holding a record of 4-3 this year. In their last matchup, the Fighting Illini took the field against the Oregon Ducks and walked away with a win by a score of 21-10. In the game, they tallied 58 plays for 314 yards. The Illinois Fighting Illini ran the football 39 times and accrued 225 yds, earning them an average of 5.8 yards per attempt. When it came to stopping the run, the Fighting Illini conceded 180 yds on 32 tries, which calculates to 5.6 yds per run surrendered. Illinois gave up 27 pass completions on 41 attempts for a total of 246 yards, and a completion percentage of 65.9%.

When talking about putting the ball in the endzone, the Illinois Fighting Illini have an average of 30.3 PPG. Offensively they have an average of 161.4 yards via the ground game which is 62nd in the country. The Fighting Illini have racked up 2,747 yards in total for the year. When it comes to distribution of touchdowns, Illinois has totaled 16 passing touchdowns and 8 rushing touchdowns. Illinois has 152 1st downs as a team, and they have committed 30 infractions for 264 yds. They have surrendered the ball 5 times.

The Fighting Illini sit in 79th in Division 1 when it comes to the opposition scoring, allowing 25.3 points per game. They are allowing an average of 4.0 yards per run and 134.4 yards on the ground per game this year. For the year, they have allowed 941 yards via the ground game in 7 games. In terms of passing yardage, the Fighting Illini have allowed 1,736 yards which puts them in 103rd in D-1. They are conceding 248.0 yards per contest via the pass in addition to allowing a completion percentage of 66.3%. During this campaign, they are allowing 382.4 yards/outing ranking them 98th in D-1. They have relinquished 12 touchdowns by air in addition to 9 touchdowns on the ground.

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The Terrapins head into this matchup 2-5 for this season. The last time they took the field, the Terrapins took a defeat with a final score of 37-30 when they played the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Maryland rushed for 4.4 yards per carry, finishing the game with 115 yds on 26 carries. The Terrapins finished the game with 378 yards and they ran 64 plays (5.9 yards per play). The Terrapins secondary conceded a completion percentage of 65.7%, relinquishing 291 yds on 23 for 35 passing. Maryland gave up 39 rush attempts for 151 yds (3.9 yards per carry).

The Maryland Terrapins are averaging 377.7 yards/outing, ranking them 78th in the country. The Maryland offense has 445 yards of penalties on 48 infractions, which ranks 60th in D-1 in terms of helping out the other team. They average 133.0 run yards per game and have toted the ball for 931 yards for the season. They have thrown 6 interceptions while losing 1 fumble and they have been able to earn 142 first downs. When looking at the points being put on the board, the Terrapins are ranked 74th in D-1 with 28.3 points per game. During this campaign thus far, the Terrapins currently have a total of 1,713 yards through the air as well as holding an average of 244.7 passing yards per outing, which has them ranked 50th in Division 1.

Maryland has yielded a total of 1,041 rushing yards (148.7 yards/game) and 13 touchdowns on the ground so far this season. They have conceded 16 touchdowns from the passing game as well as 217.9 yards per contest, which has them in 83rd in the country. This year, they have allowed 233 total points. Their defense has earned 4 fumbles recovered and 6 interceptions over the course of the season. The Terrapins defense has been on the field for 458 plays, which has them sitting 49th in Division 1. The Terrapins are conceding 33.3 points per contest, ranking them 127th in Division 1.

Who will win tonight's Fighting Illini/Terrapins college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Terrapins +2.5

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