Big Ten Conference Rundown: Cluster at the Top

Purdue (+190) has the fifth-best odds to reach the Final Four. Illinois (+600), Wisconsin (+1200), Ohio State (+1600) and Michigan State (+1800) are other top contenders out of the Big Ten.

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Game of the Week

Illinois Fighting Illini at Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Date, time, TV: Wednesday, 7 p.m ET, Big Ten Network

Rutgers has won its last three games against ranked opponents, with two of them coming at home, so visiting Illinois would be well advised to be ready to go especially since the Fighting Illini dropped their last two games at Rutgers.

Purdue, Texas Tech and Alabama are the only teams with more wins (five) against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll than Rutgers.

No. 12 Illinois has won the last two games in the series by an average of 28½ points, but this Rutgers team is a much more dangerous squad, especially at home where the Scarlet Knights are 12-2.

The last four and seven of the last eight games between Illinois and Rutgers have gone over the total.

Illinois (18-6, 11-3 Big Ten) has won five of its last six games but covered only twice during that span.

Rutgers (15-9, 9-5) has won its last three games and covered in the last four. Three of the Scarlet Knights’ last four games have gone over the total.

Rutgers has shot over 50 percent in each of the last three games, including 61.5 percent in a 21-point win over Michigan State.

Indiana Hoosiers

Wins have been hard to come by for Indiana against Wisconsin, although the Hoosiers have emerged victorious in three of the last five games played in Bloomington. That included a 75-73 win as a 2½-point underdog according to the college basketball spreads in 2019. The Hoosiers are 13-2 at home.

Indiana (16-8, 7-7) has lost its last three games and failed to cover in each of them although two of those losses came to ranked opponents.

Three of Indiana’s last four games have gone under the total while five of the last eight games against Wisconsin have gone under the total.

Indiana was just 5 of 21 from 3-point range the last time out.

Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa has had its struggles recently against Michigan, although the Hawkeyes have won the last two meetings when facing the Wolverines at home.

Iowa (17-7, 7-6) has scored at least 90 points in two of the last three games against Michigan and will look to get the game going in that direction again.

The Hawkeyes won their last three games and will be looking to improve to 14-2 at home.

Four of Iowa’s last five games have gone over the total.

Keegan Murray went off for a career-high 37 points in Sunday’s win over Nebraska. Murray was 15 of 21 from the field. It was his second consecutive 30-point effort and Murray is shooting 77 percent in his last two games.

Keegan Murray combined for 67 points over the last two games, scoring 30 at Maryland and 37 versus Nebraska.

The last Hawkeye to score 30+ points in back-to-back Big Ten games was @mattgatens (30 vs. Indiana and 33 vs. Wisconsin) 10 years ago in 2012. #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/gQZYatALN1

— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) February 14, 2022

Michigan Wolverines

Any momentum Michigan appeared to have after its impressive win over Purdue didn’t carry over into the showdown with rival Ohio State, as the Wolverines’ modest two-game winning streak came to an end.

Michigan is just 2-5 against the spread in its last seven games.while each of its last three games went under the total.

The Wolverines won three of the last four games against Iowa going into the Thursday night showdown airing on ESPN.

Eli Brooks is averaging 17 points, five rebounds and 3.7 assists over his last three games.

Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State has been scuffling in recent games, dropping four of its last eight contests and also going 4-4 against the spread over that span. The Spartans won their last 11 games when scoring at least 75 points, although that could be a tall order Tuesday against Indiana, one of the better defensive teams in the Big Ten.

No. 19 Michigan State (18-6, 9-4) has won its last three and six of its last seven games against Penn State, including the last two games when the Nittany Lions were the home team.

The 16-point win by the Spartans in the most recent meeting was the largest in the series since 2017.

Michigan State had 44 points off the bench in its win against Indiana.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Minnesota has lost two in a row to Ohio State but did win in Columbus on Jan. 23, 2020, as an 8½-point underdog according to the Las Vegas odds. However, prior to that, the last road win for Minnesota in the series came in 2005.

When Minnesota (12-10, 3-10) faced Ohio State on Jan. 27, the Golden Gophers only committed two turnovers. A similar effort could be needed on Tuesday.

Minnesota’s win over Penn State on Saturday snapped a five-game losing streak. The Golden Gophers are 3-2 against the spread in its last five games but are only 3-5 on the road.

Minnesota and Penn State will meet again on Thursday. The Golden Gophers have won six of the last meetings with the Nittany Lions.

Payton Willis had 18 points and 10 assists in a win over Penn State on Saturday. It was the second time in the last four games that Willis dished out 10 assists.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

When playing at home, Nebraska has won each of the last six games against Minnesota, although the last two home wins for the Cornhuskers have been decided by a total of five points.

Four of the last six games in the series have finished over the total.

Nebraska (6-17, 0-12) has lost 11 of the last 12 games, although the Cornhuskers are 8-3 against the spread in their last 11. Four of their last six games went over the total.

Nebraska is averaging 26 bench points in its last three games.

Northwestern Wildcats

Northwestern hasn’t defeated Purdue since 2014 but the Wildcats have covered against the spread in three of the last six meetings. Four of the last seven games against Purdue have been decided by five points or less.

Northwestern (12-11, 5-9) has covered in five of its last six games as well as the last four contests when the Las Vegas odds list the Wildcats are underdogs. Eight of Northwestern’s 12 wins have come at home.

Northwestern had 12 steals in its game against Illinois on Sunday.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State has split its last four games, although the Buckeyes are feeling pretty good about themselves after winning at Michigan on Saturday.

Something to consider for those who bet online: Ohio State has covered in four of its last five games.

No. 18 Ohio State (15-6, 8-4) has won the last two games against Minnesota, including an 11-point win on the road on Jan. 27 as a 5½-point favorite. E.J. Liddell had 23 points and 15 rebounds in the game and also topped the 1,000-point mark in the contest.

Liddell is shooting 58 percent from the field, including 46 percent on 3-pointers at home. The Buckeyes are the only team in the Big Ten still undefeated at home.

Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State has dropped six of its last seven home games against Michigan State, with the lone win coming in 2017 as a 5½-point underdog.

Five of the last eight games in the series went under the total.

Penn State (9-12, 4-9) has dropped six of its last seven games, although the Nittany Lions have covered in three of its last four contests.

The Nittany Lions also play host to Minnesota on Thursday. Penn State has won the last two times facing Minnesota at home.

Penn State’s last four games have been decided by six points or less, with the Nittany Lions 1-3 in those contests.

Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue has won 10 straight games against Northwestern heading into Wednesday’s showdown, including a 20-point win at home on Jan. 23. Purdue has won the last four games played at Northwestern and will be favored for the 14th straight time against the Wildcats.

Four of the last five games in the series have gone under the total.

Fifth-ranked Purdue (22-4, 11-4) has won seven of its last eight games but the Boilermakers have failed to cover in three of the last four. Five of the last seven Purdue games have gone over the total.

Trevon Williams has scored in double figures in each of the last four games for Purdue.

Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin is looking to avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time after its upset loss to Rutgers.

The No. 15 Badgers will be looking for their fifth win in a row against Indiana on Tuesday night in a game airing on ESPN2.

It would be an understatement to suggest that Wisconsin has dominated this series. There have also been winning streaks of 12 and five games by the Badgers, who have won 23 of the last 26 games against the Hoosiers.

Wisconsin (19-5, 10-4) has failed to cover in its last five games when listed by the Las Vegas odds as the favorite.

Four of Wisconsin’s last six games have finished under the total.

Wisconsin allowed Rutgers to shoot 51 percent, including 58 percent on 3-pointers in Saturday’s loss.