While the Purdue Boilermakers failed to see the Big Ten regular season title all the way through, online sportsbooks look to be of the belief that Matt Painter’s kids are the best team in the conference evidenced by installing them favorites to cut the nets down in Indianapolis come the conclusion of the Big Ten tournament. If in fact the Boilers live up to expectations, it would be the second B1G tourney title logged in program history under Painter’s watch. But Brad Underwood’s Illinois Fighting Illini and Greg Gard’s Wisconsin Badgers will have something to say about that with each sharing the regular season title and also ranking out amongst the favorites to win this tourney. I don’t think it’s as cut and dry as the futures odds suggest with parity at an all-time high within this conference. There isn’t one dominant team like in the Pac-12 or ACC. It’s more or less a hodgepodge of very good teams mixed with decent ones as well as some dogs that could get hot and win it all. The B1G tourney will no doubt be must-see TV! Here’s my favorite, underdog and longshot selection to make some noise in Indy over the next week.
The Big 10 Tournament will be held at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN beginning Wednesday, March 9, 2022. BookMaker.eu will have NCAA basketball odds available for every game until the nets are cut down.
Big 10 Tournament Odds at BookMaker.eu
Purdue +220
Illinois +275
Iowa +400
Wisconsin +550
Michigan +900
Ohio State +1200
Rutgers +1400
Indiana/Michigan State +2500
Northwestern +8500
Maryland +9000
Penn State +20000
Nebraska +30000
Minnesota +50000
Favorite to Bet: Illinois Fighting Illini +275
The reigning champs are my selection to repeat. Underwood’s kids pulled it off last season toppling Ohio State 91-88 in overtime of the finals. With Kofi Cockburn (21 PPG/10 RPG), Trent Frazier (12.1 PPG), Jacob Grandison (10.3 PPG), and Andre Curbelo (3.2 APG) all knowing what it takes to get the job done, I favor the Illini to be the last team standing once again. This team enters the second season hot having scored wins in nine of their last 12 games since dropping back-to-back decisions to Purdue and Maryland in late January. With Kofi owning the paint at both ends of the floor and the shooters readily able to light it up from beyond the arc, Illinois has all the ingredients needed to repeat as B1G tourney champs. Not only that, but they’re also playing with a chip on their shoulder after getting bounced from the Big Dance early last season. As such, you can’t help but think this team comes in extra motivated to sweep that choke job under the rug and make some history; Illinois has won three tourney titles but never once did so in successive years. My only reservation is the horrendous free throw shooting (No. 195) and spotty perimeter defense (No. 118). Those two red marks will ultimately do them in if not curbed. Even so, I’m all in on the Illini at a near 3-1 return!
Underdog to Bet: Ohio State Buckeyes +1200
For the life of me I don’t get this Ohio State team. Chris Holtmann’s squad should’ve played more of a role in the regular season title chase with the talent littered up and down the roster. One game they go out and bury Wisconsin at home. Then they need overtime just to dispose of the disappointing Indiana Hoosiers. The Buckeyes closed the year out terribly dropping three of their final four games to Maryland, Nebraska and Michigan with the lone triumph coming against the corpse of Michigan State. Now granted, Kyle Young and Zed Key were absent for a few of those losses, but E.J. Liddell, Jamari Wheeler and Malaki Branham should’ve been enough to pick up the slack. Alas it wasn’t, but you won’t hear me complain. All the late season nose dive did was create more value on their futures odds to win the Big Ten tourney. The current offering has the Buckeyes owning a less than 8 percent implied probability of being the last team standing. Sorry, but that just doesn’t jive with me! Yes, Purdue lies ahead in the quarters but the Boilers are a team OSU matches up well against with its ability to clog the paint. If Purdue has an off-shooting night from long range, the Buckeyes can take advantage. OSU is being overlooked and their current offering is oozing with line value!
Longshot to Bet: Maryland Terrapins +9000
With all the parity at the top of the futures odds, I simply don’t think there’s much of any room to find even more value with one of those long odd dart throws; there’s already enough line value as it is! That being said, I’m thinking the Terps could be dangerous so long as they bring the mindset of playing on the Xfinity Center hardwood with them to Indianapolis. Though it went just 10-8 SU in front of the hometown faithful, Maryland closed the year out with three straight home wins to move to 4-2 SU in its final six games. This team has wins under the belt against Ohio State, Illinois, and Rutgers, but also logged covering defeats @Iowa, Michigan State, and Purdue; the three losses came by an average of just 2.7 points per game! All of Fats Russell (14.9 PPG), Eric Ayala (14.6 PPG) and Drew Scott (12.5 PPG) have game that mustn’t be overlooked heading into tourney time. This team needs to win to get into the Dance, and I expect them to challenge each and every opponent in an attempt to do just that!
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