Published October 24, 2026 · By the Goalorithm model desk
Preview
The Illinois Fighting Illini visit the Maryland Terrapins in college football on Saturday, October 31, with kickoff at 12:00 p.m. ET. The Illinois Fighting Illini come in off a road win, while the Maryland Terrapins most recently lost at home.
What the model expects
The model's estimates are not certainties. It gives the Maryland Terrapins 39.5% to win and the Illinois Fighting Illini 60.5%; the model's likelier result is an Illinois Fighting Illini win. It projects 28.6 points for the Maryland Terrapins and 32.1 for the Illinois Fighting Illini, with 60.7 in all. The projected margin is the Illinois Fighting Illini by 3.5 points.
Records and recent results
The Illinois Fighting Illini are 3-3 overall this season, with 191 points scored and 167 allowed in 6 games. The Maryland Terrapins are 2-5, with 198 points scored and 233 allowed in 7 games; the Illinois Fighting Illini have the better record.
The Maryland Terrapins lost 37-30 at home to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on October 17, and before that lost 45-16 on the road to the Ohio State Buckeyes on October 10 and lost 48-23 on the road to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on October 3. The Illinois Fighting Illini beat the Michigan State Spartans 38-37 on the road on October 10, and before that lost 24-17 at home to the Purdue Boilermakers on October 3 and lost 42-19 on the road to the Ohio State Buckeyes on September 26.