Purdue is going to be the talk of the Big Ten Tournament, but are there flaws on a team that was shocked by No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago?
The Boilermakers are -110 favorites to win the Big Ten championship, with the Illinois Fighting Illini coming in at +300 on BetMGM Sportsbook.
This is followed by the Nebraska Cornhuskers at +750 and the typically powerful Michigan State Spartans at 10/1.
Many bettors will be on the Boilermakers, who are ranked No. 3 in adjusted efficiency margin by KenPom, which is the highest among all Big Ten teams.
Illinois is 10th in those same rankings but they will have a punchers chance in any matchup thanks to their fourth-best offense ranking.
However, according to KenPom, the Boilermakers are ranked No. 1 in offense, so this is expected to be a highly competitive offensive conference with the potential for a few shootouts.
Long expected to be named the Wooden Award winner, Zach Edey will lead the way for those Boilermakers who will look to feed him the rock early and often.
He is -2500 to be the college basketball player of the year on BetMGM.
Big 10 Tournament odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Purdue | -110 |
| Illinois | +300 |
| Nebraska | +750 |
| Michigan State | 10/1 |
| Northwestern | 14/1 |
| Wisconsin | 16/1 |
| Ohio State | 25/1 |
| Iowa | 40/1 |
| Indiana | 50/1 |
| Maryland | 80/1 |
| Penn State | 100/1 |
| Minnesota | 100/1 |
| Rutgers | 200/1 |
| Michigan | 200/1 |
If you’re looking to fade the 28-3 Boilermakers, you will need to target one of the teams that have size down low that they can throw at Edey to slow him down.
Illinois could be that team, as they are ranked No. 6 in all of college basketball in rebounds per game but they don’t have a clear matchup for Edey.
Edey had 28 points and eight rebounds in a March 6 victory over Illinois.
It’s really Illinois’ guard play that makes up for deficiencies in their frontcourt.
That’s where we get to the Michigan State Spartans, who admittedly have been disappointing this season.
Still, Tom Izzo is exactly the coach who can get their talented frontcourt to the promised land.
The Spartans played the Boilermakers tough early in the month, a six-point loss, but there was still plenty to like in that game, including showcasing elite free-throw shooting.
Betting on College Basketball?
- Check out the best College Basketball betting sites
- Read our guide on how to bet on College Basketball
- Get the latest NCAA Championship Winner odds
They also shoot plenty of 3-pointers, which could give a long shot like the Spartans enough punching power in a potential date with Purdue in the semifinals.
PICK: Michigan State wins Big Ten Tournament (10/1, BetRivers)