College Basketball Big Ten Conference Rundown

Purdue (+190) has the third-lowest national championship odds, with Illinois (+400) also among the eading contenders to win it all.

Game of the Week

Wisconsin Badgers at Illinois Fighting Illini

• Game: wisconsin Badgers (17-3) at Illinois Fighting Illini (15-5)
• Location: State Farm Center, Champaign, IL
• Day/Time/TV: Wednesday, Feb. 2nd, 9:00 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

This should be a fun one as the two teams tied for the conference lead square off at Illinois.

No. 11 Wisconsin (17-3, 8-2 Big Ten) has the best conference road record at 5-1, while No. 18 Illinois (15-5, 8-2) is 9-2 at home.

It no argument that Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis and Kofi Cockburn of Illinois are the top candidates for Big Ten Player of the Year and in the running for national honors as well. Cockburn missed some time due to a concussion, but had 22 points and nine rebounds in a win over Northwestern the last game.

Illinois (+200) now has the lowest odds to win the Big Ten title, trailed closely by Purdue (+250). Wisconsin is fourth at +400.

Illinois has won each of the last three games in the series, covering in the last four.

Here is a team-by-team breakdown of the week ahead in the Big Ten for those who bet online.

Illinois Fighting Illini

After that huge showdown with Wisconsin, the Fighting Illini resume what’s been a very competitive series with Indiana. Six of the teams’ last seven meetings have been decided by 10 points or less. Illinois has won the last three games against the Hoosiers heading into Saturday’s showdown, covering in the last two.

The Fighting Illini lead the conference in offensive rebounding, and that number should increase with the 7-foot Cockburn is back in action.

Indiana Hoosiers

When Indiana plays host to Illinois in a Saturday matinee, the Hoosiers are looking for an eighth win in the last nine meetings at Bloomington. However, the Fighting Illini won the latest meeting, 75-71, as three-point road favorites. Five of the last eight games in the series have gone over the total set by the Las Vegas odds.

Indiana (16-5, 7-4) leads the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing just 63 points per game. The Hoosiers have a conference-leading 13 home wins.

Iowa Hawkeyes

The week didn’t get off to the best start for the Hawkeyes, Iowa losing in double overtime to Penn State, 90-86. Leading scorer Keegan Murray was just 6-for-18 from the field, while two other starters didn’t make a field goal.

Iowa (14-7, 4-6) is looking to win at Ohio State Thursday night for the second season in a row. This after its 73-57 victory in 2021 as a 2½-point underdog. The last time that happened was Jan. 12th and Dec. 30th of 2014.

The Hawkeyes play host to Minnesota Sunday trying for its fifth win in the last six games in the series.

Iowa is second in the conference in scoring (82.8 ppg) and also in steals.

Maryland Terrapins

Maryland (11-10, 3-7) is out to defeat Michigan State for the fourth time in the last five meetings when the Spartans come to College Park Tuesday evening (ESPN2). Maryland has covered in each of the last three wins.

Maryland then heads to Ohio State Sunday having lost its last two games against the Buckeyes. The Terps had won seven of the previous nine matchups. The last two games between Ohio State and Maryland were decided by eight points or less after the previous four resulted n double-digit margins.

Maryland is only 2-8 against the college basketball spread in its last 10 home contests.

Michigan Wolverines

It hasn’t been the easiest of seasons for a Wolverine team which had lofty aspirations entering the season. Perhaps a Tuesday home game against bottom-feeder Nebraska is just what Michigan (10-8, 4-4) needs, eying a seventh consecutive win in this series. The Wolverines covered each of the previous six, Michigan is favored against the ‘Huskers for the 10th time in a row.

When the Big Ten schedule was released, the Saturday West Lafayette matinee with Purdue was expected to have larger ramifications in the conference. Purdue has done its part, but Michigan is currently eighth, although just three games out of first.

The Wolverines have covered in each of the last nine meetings with Purdue, winning the last five (including three at Purdue).

Michigan has covered in only two of its last seven games.

Getting out in transition has been a problem at times for the Wolverines, currently last in the conference with an average of 4.6 steals per contest.

Michigan State Spartans

No. 13 Michigan State (16-4, 7-2) hasn’t had much success recently against Maryland, but the Spartans did prevailed on the Terrapins’ home court in 2020 (as two-point underdogs) and in 2018 (as a six-point favorite). Five of the last six games in the series went under the total.

The Spartans play Saturday at Rutgers, State had won 10 straight series games–just one decided by less than 10 points–before Rutgers won by 30 points (67-37) in the last meeting . The Spartans have only covered in two of the last seven series games, while three of the last four Spartans-Knights games have finished under the total.

The total has gone over in eight of Michigan State’s last 11 games, while the Spartans have covered in their last five road games.

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Michigan State is ‘leading’ the conference in turnovers (14.2) per game.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Minnesota (11-7, 2-7) has won the last two times Purdue has visited Williams Arena, including a three-point win last Feb. 11th. Four of the last five meetings between the teams have gone over the total. They oppose one another Wednesday night in Minneapolis.

The last time Minnesota defeated Iowa was a 102-95 shootout Christmas Day, 2020. The Golden Gophers were held to 71 points in each of the last two meetings. The teams play Sunday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Minnesota leads the Big Ten in 3-point percentage defense (28.7%).

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Cellar-dwelling Nebraska (6-15, 0-10) plays at Michigan Tuesday night in what’s become a one-sided series. Nebraska hasn’t beaten Michigan since 2018, with no game decided by less than 10 points since 2017. Four of the last six games in the series have gone over the total.

Each of the last three Northwestern-Nebraska matchups has been decided by five points or less, so will Saturday’s showdown in Lincoln be any different? Nebraska will be looking to change one thing about the series, as the Cornhuskers have dropped their last three games to the Wildcats. However, the ‘Huskers are 4-1 against the spread in the last five games against Northwestern.

The total has gone over in 11 of Nebraska’s last 16 games.

Nebraska is last in the conference in scoring margin, outscored by 5.7 points per game.

Northwestern Wildcats

Northwestern (9-10, 2-6) has dropped the last two games when hosting Rutgers, the teams meeting in Evanston Tuesday night. The Wildcats had three in a row at home against RU before things headed in the other direction the last couple of seasons. Four of the last five Rutgers-Northwestern games have gone under the total.

The Wildcats then hit the road Saturday to meet Nebraska. NU did prevail in the last three games against the Cornhuskers, including a 79-78 thriller in March. Four of the last six series series have gone under the total.

Northwestern is 3-7 against the spread in its last 10 games.

The Wildcats are fourth in the Big Ten, averaging 6.5 steals per game.

Ohio State Buckeyes

No. 16 Ohio State (13-5, 6-3) is trying to avoid losing back-to-back games against Iowa for the first time since the 2014-15 season when the Hawkeyes make a Thursday trip to Columbus (FS1). Ohio State had won the last three home games against Iowa before last season’s decisive victory by the Hawkeyes.

Three of the last four games in the series have finished over the total.

Each of the last 12 times that Maryland and Ohio State have played, the winner of the game also covered. The Buckeyes were 5-7 during that stretch.

Ohio State is second in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (48.0%).

Penn State Nittany Lions

John Harrar had 19 points and 10 rebounds while Seth Lundy added 17 points and 11 rebounds as the Nittany Lions snapped a three-game losing streak with a 90-86 win in double overtime against Iowa to snap a three-game losing streak.

It would be quite the understatement to suggest Penn State has struggled against Wisconsin, the lone win since 2011 coming in 2021. However, the Nittany Lions (9-9, 4-6) have covered in three of the last five meetings with the Badgers, while five of the last seven games ended up under the total.

Offense has been an issue, with no Big Ten team averaging fewer points per game than the Nittany Lions’ 66.4.

Purdue Boilermakers

Fourth-ranked Purdue (18-3, 7-3) has not only dropped three of the last five games against Minnesota, but is just 1-4-1 against the spread in the last six games against the Golden Gophers.

Four of the last five Purdue-Minnesota games have been decided by five points or less.

Purdue will look to beat Michigan for the first time since 2018 when the teams meet Saturday afternoon. The last time the Boilermakers hosted the Wolverines, the result was a 17-point Michigan win (as five-point favorites). That won’t be the case here.

Four of the last six games between Michigan and Purdue have gone over the total.

Purdue’s 50.5 field-goal percentage is tops in the conference.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers (12-8, 6-4) travels to play Northwestern Tuesday looking for its fifth win in a row against the Wildcats The games have become progressively less competitive, with RU winning by three, four, eight and then 14 points.

One of the stunning scores of the 2020-21 Big Ten season had to be Rutgers beating Michigan State, 67-37, last Jan. 28th. Now the Scarlet Knights look to beat Michigan State at home for the second time in a row.

The total has gone under in five of the last six Rutgers games.

Rutgers is second in the Big Ten in scoring defense (64.2 ppg).

Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin has won 15 of the last 16 games against Penn State heading into Saturday’s game, although the latest meeting was just a one-point Badger win in the 2021 Big Ten tournament. Dating to 2010, Wisconsin is 8-0 at home against Penn State, with five of those games decided by at least 10 points.

While in contention for the Big 10 title, Wisconsin isn’t in the top two in any conference category except free-throw percentage.