Surprisingly enough the one name brand league holding its tournament this week is the Big Ten Conference. Commissioner Jim Delany admits this is a gamble but likes that his league will garner the bulk of national attention for itself. The intrigue for the Big Ten Tournament is potentially large with many potential story lines. The Michigan State Spartans are a traditional power and name brand but they operate under scandal both at home and with the FBI. Few teams surprised better than the Ohio State Buckeyes did this year but can they maintain success? The Purdue Boilermakers faded badly after a hot start but are loaded and complete. Closing strong were the Michigan Wolverines yet they lack a dominant star scorer. And Beyond the top four of the Big Ten are plenty of upset candidates.
Madison Square Garden, “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” will host the Big Ten Conference tournament for the first time ever. Action from New York City runs from February 28 through March 4.
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Big Ten Tournament action begins on Wednesday with Game One between Iowa vs. Illinois and Game two between Minnesota vs. Rutgers. Thursday includes four games including Maryland vs. Wisconsin and Penn State vs. Northwestern. Michigan will take on the game one winner from Tuesday and Indiana will meet Tuesday’s game two winner. The winners of Thursday’s games will advance to a bracket with Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State and Purdue. Saturday features the final four of the Big Ten with two semi final games. The championship game is on Sunday.
One team to definitely watch are the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Few teams in the country, let alone the Big Ten, are more of a bubble team than Nebraska. Head coach Tim Miles took NU to the second round of the Big Dance in 2014 but has never been back. A strong run with a minimum of two wins in this tournament are essential to the Huskers getting a potential March Madness invite.
Northwestern was a major disappointment this season. After making the Big Dance for the first time ever last year expectations were high for 2018. The Wildcats had most of that tournament team coming back. Despite such an advantage and momentum NU was never a factor in the Big Ten race while operating in red ink with the betting line.
Ohio State was picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten standings. First year head coach Chris Holtmann arrived last June after the odd surprise firing of Thad Matta. Holtmann correctly assessed that defense would be the key to unlock the March Madness door. The Buckeyes boasted one of the top defenses in the Big Ten. What proved to be a bigger surprise was a Buckeye offense that averaged a surprising 76.1 points per game. A 24 win season and national ranking of 16th was never expected and yet delivered. Holtmann is a top shelf candidate for Big Ten coach of the year.
Key Stats
Purdue busted bankrolls at a stunning rate to end the season as the Boilermakers paid out in just one of their last ten games. Michigan State covered just two of their last nine games against the spread with distractions mounting by the day. Nebraska closed strong as a betting value with nine payouts in their last ten games. Michigan also closed well with the oddsmaker as the Wolverines got the money in eight of their last ten games. Penn State came out of nowhere to also finish strong down the stretch. The Nittany Lions covered the number in seven of their last nine games. Conversely few teams busted bankrolls down the stretch like the Iowa Hawkeyes. In their last ten games the Hawkeyes covered the number just three times. Rutgers was as rotten and unappealing as usual with the Scarlet Knights getting paid in just three of their last ten games
Player to Watch
All eyes will be on sophomore forward Miles Bridges of the Michigan State Spartans. In the recent FBI scandal story that broke Bridges and his family were specifically named. This puts considerable pressure on the Spartans leading scorer. Bridges averaged a team best 17.1 points per game for the Spartans. The FBI blowup adds to the sexual assault scandal that hit the MSU athletic department earlier in February. Bridges will likely feel as if he is under the FBI hot lights for a grilling. The media capital of the world will be out to get him.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Michigan State is probably a team to avoid. They bring a name brand and a lot of distractions and negative issues. That is a potentially lethal combination on the board. Ohio State played above their heads this season and face a probable market correction. Purdue brings the beaten favorite angle to this tournament and a team that plays well on the entire court. The Boilermakers are as good as anyone in this conference.
Big Ten Conference Tournament Pick: Purdue Boilermakers
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