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NCAA basketball betting: Purdue, Illinois, Iowa among favorites to win Big Ten tournament

sam cooper
College football writer
·5 min read
5

In most seasons, the Big Ten can make a pretty convincing case for being the toughest conference in the country. But the grueling schedule that makes the league so difficult to win is seen by some as a detriment when March Madness rolls around.

But before we can worry about how the Big Ten will perform in the Big Dance, the conference tournament will be played starting Wednesday in Indianapolis. The field is wide open.

Illinois and Wisconsin were the league’s regular season co-champions, but Purdue is actually the betting favorite to win the tournament at BetMGM. The fourth-place finisher, Iowa, is one of the biggest contenders as well.

There are also teams like Rutgers, Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State that are more than capable of stringing some wins together this weekend to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.

Here’s what you need to know about the Big Ten tournament before you bet it at BetMGM.

Big Ten standings

1. Illinois (15-5 Big Ten, +350 to win at BetMGM)

2. Wisconsin (15-5, +700)

3. Purdue (14-6, +250)

4. Rutgers (12-8, +1200)

5. Iowa (12-8, +400)

6. Ohio State (12-8, +1200)

7. Michigan State (11-9, +1400)

8. Michigan (11-9, +1000)

9. Indiana (9-11, +1400)

10. Maryland (7-13, +3300)

11. Penn State (7-13, +10000)

12. Northwestern (7-13, +6600)

13. Nebraska (4-16, +25000)

14. Minnesota (4-16, +25000)

Illinois' Kofi Cockburn (21) boxes out Iowa's Kris Murray during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Michael Allio)

Favorites

Purdue (+250): Purdue arguably has the most talent in the Big Ten, led by projected lottery pick Jaden Ivey and the big man duo of Zach Edey and Trevion Williams. Ivey is an explosive athlete who can get to the rim at will and also knock down threes. Edey is an imposing presence at 7-foot-4 and 295 pounds while Williams is a deft low-post scorer with a knack for highlight reel assists. Beyond those three, the Boilermakers have a trio of knockdown shooters in their starting lineup: Sasha Stefanovic, Mason Gillis and Eric Hunter. All three shoot better than 40% from deep. The weakness for Purdue has been defense. The Boilermakers rank 10th in the conference in adjusted defensive efficiency.

Illinois (+350): Illinois won four of five down the stretch and got some unexpected help from Nebraska (which beat Wisconsin on the road) to capture its first Big Ten regular season title since 2005. The Illini can beat anybody, especially when Kofi Cockburn is playing his best. The 7-foot, 285-pound Cockburn averages 21 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. With his size and strength, he’s virtually unguardable when he gets consistent touches near the rim. Around him is a crew of versatile guards, including Alfonso Plummer, Trent Frazier and Jacob Grandison. The Illini want to play at a fast pace, which can lead to some turnover issues. Illinois also can struggle when it gets pulled into a slow-tempo, half-court game. Last year’s NCAA tournament loss to Loyola-Chicago was the perfect example of that.

Iowa (+400): Despite losing a heartbreaker at Illinois in the regular season finale, Iowa has really been on a roll over the last five weeks. After starting 4-6 in Big Ten play, the Hawkeyes closed out the regular season by winning eight of 10 games, and all of those victories were decided by a double-digit margin. Leading the way for Iowa is Keegan Murray, the Big Ten’s scoring leader at 23.3 points per game. Murray has 22 games with at least 20 points and has topped 30 points. He’s the kind of player who can single-handedly win a game.

Wisconsin (+700): Wisconsin was picked to finish 10th in the Big Ten preseason poll but ended up with a share of the conference title. A massive reason for that was the emergence of Johnny Davis, the conference’s player of the year. Davis averages 20 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, shouldering the load for a team that has significantly achieved beyond what its metrics projected. The Badgers aren’t especially deep and struggle with outside shooting, yet they manage to consistently win close games. Of Wisconsin’s 20 Big Ten games, 16 were decided by a single-digit margin. The Badgers were 14-2 in those games.

Wisconsin's Johnny Davis (1) shoots against Rutgers' Caleb McConnell (22) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, in Madison, Wis. Davis is The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten Conference, announced Tuesday, March 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Andy Manis, FIle)
Wisconsin's Johnny Davis (1) shoots against Rutgers' Caleb McConnell (22) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, in Madison, Wis. Davis is The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten Conference, announced Tuesday, March 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Andy Manis, FIle)

Long shots to consider

Michigan (+1000): Michigan was one of the favorites entering the season but has been inconsistent throughout the year. Still, this is a talented group that can beat anybody it plays. The Wolverines went 3-2 down the stretch while coach Juwan Howard was suspended. Howard is back for the Big Ten tournament where the Wolverines can deliver a brutal blow for Indiana’s NCAA tournament hopes on Thursday.

Rutgers (+1200): Rutgers got a coveted double-bye, yet still has +1200 odds to win the Big Ten tournament. That’s worth a shot, no? This is a gritty, veteran-laden team that plays really tough defense and has two players capable of hitting big shots — Ron Harper Jr. and Geo Baker. Rutgers also has a talented young big man in Clifford Omoruyi. Omoruyi is a ferocious dunker and interior defender that can really affect games.

Michigan State (+1400): MSU has had an up-and-down season, but it’s never a good idea to count out Tom Izzo in March. MSU, which has four Big Ten tournament titles since 2012, lost seven of its last 10 regular season games, but still has enough talent to make a run.