Illinois at Maryland

Lovie Smith still seems to be having trouble getting traction at Illinois. Yes, the Illini are 3-4, but the three wins were all to teams that they were expected to beat. The whispers are starting to become audible, so this is a big game for his team. And coming away from a competitive game may silence some for now. Maryland has a big win vs. Texas, a bad 21 point loss to Temple, and was totally humiliated at Iowa last week. Since the 2-0 start, the Terps have not looked the same and have actually been out-scored 120-111. That includes a 34-7 win vs. Rutgers, a team Illinois beat by 21. I think the recent body of work suggests a close game here. Make the play on Illinois.