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NCAAF · October 31, 2026

Illinois Fighting Illini vs Maryland Terrapins Preview & Odds — October 31, 2026

Illinois Fighting Illini

3-3

Quarterback Katin Houser

Maryland Terrapins

1-5

Quarterback Malik Washington

Saturday, October 31 · 12:00 PM ET

ILLOffense2026 regular season to dateMD

39th+0.148

EPA/play

−0.037106th

38th49.4%

Success %

47.8%62nd

59th27.3

PPG

22.793rd

ILLDefenseMD

134th+0.308

EPA/play allowed

+0.249129th

137th55.7%

Success % allowed

50.1%113th

84th27.8

Opp PPG

38.8133rd

ILLRecent formMD

Wvs Southern Illinois 48-10L@ Ohio State 19-42Lvs Purdue 17-24W@ Michigan State 38-37Wvs Oregon 21-10

Resultsoldest to newest

Lvs Virginia Tech 26-35Lvs UCLA 3-54L@ Nebraska 23-48L@ Ohio State 16-45Lvs Rutgers 30-37

4-3

Record

2-5

3-4

ATS

3-4

5-2

Over–under

6-1

ILLHome and roadseason to dateMD

3-2

Home record

1-3

1-1

Road record

1-2

2-3

Home ATS

1-3

1-1

Road ATS

2-1

3-2

Home O/U

4-0

2-0

Road O/U

2-1

ILLLast 10 gamesMD

Game by game

4-3

Last 7

2-5

+35

Net points

-35

Top third of the leagueMiddle thirdBottom thirdBar = league rank (full = 1st)

Rest & travelrest and travel

ILLRest & travelMD

7 days

Days of rest

14 days

606 mi975 km

Travel to the game

Home

+1 hclock change vs home

Time-zone change

Home

Venue

SECU Stadium

About these numbers

2026 regular season to date, captured before kickoff. League rank in small type (138 teams); the gold side ranks higher. Bars show rank, longest = 1st. Source: Gridiron & Wine public Analytics tables.

Last five results this season, oldest to newest. Records are season to date, with home and road splits. Against-the-spread (ATS) and over–under records use the consensus closing line.

Margin of each of the last 7 games this season, oldest to newest (gold = won). Hover a bar for the score margin.

Distance is straight-line from each team's home arena; time-zone change is at game time. Rest counts days since each team's previous game.

Matchup preview

Illinois (3-3) visits Maryland (1-5) on Saturday, October 31 at 12:00 PM ET.

Illinois has the 39th-ranked offense by EPA per play (expected points added per snap) and the 134th-ranked defense (ranks among the 138 teams with play-by-play data). Meanwhile, Maryland has the 106th-ranked offense and the 129th-ranked defense. When Illinois has the ball, a 39th-ranked offense (+0.148 EPA per play) meets a 129th-ranked defense (+0.249 allowed); when Maryland has it, a 106th-ranked offense (−0.037) meets a 134th-ranked defense (+0.308 allowed).

By success rate (the share of plays that gain expected points), the Illinois offense is at 49.4% (38th) and the Maryland offense at 47.8% (62nd). Illinois scores 27.3 points per game (59th) and allows 27.8 (84th); Maryland scores 22.7 (93rd) and allows 38.8 (133rd).

Illinois is 4-3 and 3-4 against the spread; its last game was a 21-10 win over Oregon. Maryland is 2-5 and 3-4 against the spread; its last game was a 37-30 loss to Rutgers.

Illinois is a 2.5-point road favorite, with Maryland getting the points at home. The spread has not moved since it opened. The total is 54.5, up from 50.5 at the open. After removing the vig, the moneyline (Illinois -135, Maryland +112) prices Illinois at 55% and Maryland at 45%.

Built from public team and player data; ranks are league-wide and update daily until kickoff.

Market

Odds and line movement

Spreadno move

OpenMaryland +2.5 (-110)
Illinois -2.5 (-110)

NowMaryland +2.5 (-108)
Illinois -2.5 (-110)

Totalup 4

Open50.5 (o -110 / u -110)

Now54.5 (o -110 / u -110)

Moneyline

OpenIllinois -131 54%
Maryland +110 46%

NowIllinois -135 55%
Maryland +112 45%

Consensus of US sportsbooks. The Now column updates from our odds board. Percentages are the moneyline's no-vig market-implied chances.

Best available prices on Oct 28

Illinois -2.5+101ProphetX
Maryland +2.5+100Novig
Over 54.5-108Bally Bet
Under 54.5+104Kalshi
Illinois-122FanDuel
Maryland+127Kalshi

Members

G&W Line

G&W’s own number for this game, next to the market. Analytics

Projected score

Spread

Total

Win %

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Matchup

Players to watch

Illinois

QB · Katin Houser

Attempts184
Completion %66.3%59th
Passing yards1,440120th
Yards per attempt7.883rd
TD–INT12–4

Leading rusher (RB) · Aidan Laughery

Rushing yards51457th
Season line75 carries, 514 yds, 2 TD

Leading receiver (WR) · Collin Dixon

Receiving yards67814th
Season line54 catches, 678 yds, 10 TD

Leading tackler (DB) · Matthew Bailey

Tackles49144th

Maryland

QB · Malik Washington

Attempts260
Completion %59.6%164th
Passing yards1,61581st
Yards per attempt6.2224th
TD–INT9–6

Leading rusher (RB) · DeJuan Williams

Rushing yards281214th
Season line38 carries, 281 yds, 3 TD

Leading receiver (WR) · Chris Durr Jr.

Receiving yards58032nd
Season line52 catches, 580 yds, 4 TD

Leading tackler (LB) · Daniel Wingate

Tackles44214th

Season passing totals from public box scores, captured before kickoff. Ranks among the 264 quarterbacks with at least 60 attempts. Rushing, receiving and tackle leaders: season totals captured October 28, 5:34 a.m. ET; ranks among FBS players.

Success by situation

Situation	Illinois	Maryland
Early-down success rateIllinois offense vs Maryland defense	44.2%55th	44.0%84th
Early-down success rateMaryland offense vs Illinois defense	50.0%134th	46.2%28th
3rd-down conversion rateIllinois offense vs Maryland defense	50.0%17th	52.3%134th
3rd-down conversion rateMaryland offense vs Illinois defense	45.8%111th	35.3%103rd
Explosive play rateIllinois offense vs Maryland defense	6.8%64th	6.6%65th
Explosive play rateMaryland offense vs Illinois defense	6.5%61st	6.1%93rd
Pass rateshare of plays that are passes or sacks	50.8%69th-highest	61.1%6th-highest

On 3rd down Illinois converts 50.0% (17th) against a Maryland defense allowing 52.3% (134th).

On 3rd down Maryland converts 35.3% (103rd) against a Illinois defense allowing 45.8% (111th).

2026 regular season before kickoff, from play-by-play with garbage time removed; ranks among the 138 teams in the play-by-play data (defense: 1st = allows the least). Success = a play that gains expected points.

Coaching staff

Staff	Illinois	Maryland
Head coach	Bret Bielema	Aazaar Abdul-Rahim (interim) (interim)
Tenureat this school	6th season	1st season
Record at schoolthis season included, as of the date below	41–29	0–0
Career recordas an FBS head coach	138–87	0–0
Offensive coordinator	Barry Lunney Jr.	Clint Trickett
Defensive coordinator	Roger Cooper	Aazaar Abdul-Rahim / Zac Spavital

Staff list as of October 27, 6:50 a.m. ET.

Head-to-head

The teams have met 3 times since 2021: Illinois won 2 and Maryland 1.

Date	Score	Line	Total
Nov 15, 2025	Maryland 6, Illinois 24 Illinois won
Oct 14, 2023	Illinois 27, Maryland 24 Illinois won
Sep 17, 2021	Maryland 20, Illinois 17 Maryland won

Meetings since 2021, most recent first. Line and total are the consensus closing numbers where line history is available.

Result

After the final: score vs the closing line, Drive X-Ray and the graded official play, if there was one, appear here on this same page.

Teams