How to watch Maryland vs. Illinois live online: Time, TV schedule and more

After starting off conference play with an impressive double-overtime thriller in East Lansing, Maryland kept up their hot start with a home win against a deep Minnesota team. The Gophers did everything in their power to keep the game within reach, but the Terps were too much for Minnesota to handle, pushing their way to a 2-0 conference record with a 70-58 win in front of more than 15,000 fans at Xfinity Center.

Behind a number of talented players, Mark Turgeon has led the Terps to their highest ranking since February 2003, but claims the team has yet to reach its peak. With Damonte Dodd evolving into a prominent centerpiece down low, Maryland is a legitimate contender in the Big Ten. Of course, having the leadership of Dez Wells and composure of Melo Trimble contributes largely to the team's early success.

The Fighting Illini will be facing the Terps without their best all around player, Rayvonte Rice. Rice, who leads Illinois in points per game and rebounds per game, is expected to miss 5-6 weeks after suffering an injury in practice. Illinois will look to Malcolm Hill to fulfill the scorer's role, as he's the only other Illini to average double digits scoring this year. Beyond Hill and Rice, there aren't too many great scoring options that jump out of the box score, so the Fighting Illini may have to get creative or rely on someone who isn't used to taking so many shots.

How to watch, listen, and stream

Game time: 9:00 p.m. ET

TV: BTN

Radio: Terrapin Sports Radio Network and live audio available here.

Online streaming: BTN Stream

The numbers

Rankings and records: Maryland is 14-1 and ranked No. 11 in the AP Poll and No. 9 in the Coaches Poll. Illinois is 10-5 and ranked No. 56 in the KenPom rankings.

Odds: The Terps are 2.5-point favorites.

KenPom's prediction: Maryland, 67-66. 56% chance Maryland wins.

Two things at stake

Cracking the top ten? Texas lost HUUUGE to Oklahoma a couple nights ago, meaning the Terps, with a sweep this week, could climb into the top ten.

With a loss on their home court, Illinois could fall to 0-3 in conference play. Without Rice, their hopes of making the tournament seem to be slipping away, but could turn the season around with a big upset over Maryland.

One big matchup

Dez Wells vs. Malcolm Hill: As mentioned earlier, behind Rice, the Illini have very few prominent scoring options, but Hill is the one guy that could step in and fill the void. Wells, Maryland's star, will be tested defensively by a sharp shooting guard who has a knack for getting to the line. Wells has incredible athleticism and nothing ignites Maryland's adrenaline more than an old-fashioned fast break slam from Wells, so Hill will want to monitor the senior in the open court. This matchup could be the one that decides the game.

Further reading

Check out our preview and the reasons for Damonte Dodd's surprise emergence.