Big Ten March Madness: Purdue, Illinois on Dance Card
Purdue and Illinois are the only teams ranked in the top 25 in the national polls heading into the Big Ten tournament. There should be more than two Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament from the Big Ten even if the NCAA Basketball odds favor Purdue to add the conference title to its regular-season championship.
The Boilermakers are looking to be a No. 1 seed in the March Madness brackets with NCAA Tournament projections having Illinois as a No. 4 seed.
Purdue still leads the way when it comes to the odds of winning March Madness in the Big Ten. Will other Big Ten teams make some noise in the NCAA Tournament?
The Big Ten tournament begins when Rutgers meets Maryland on Wednesday followed by the Michigan-Penn State game. Things will heat up in the second round with teams in contention for March Madness at-large bids will take the court.
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When looking at the college basketball futures odds, Purdue (+700) has the third-best odds of winning the NCAAM championship. Illinois (+3500) and Wisconsin (+8000) are the next Big Ten teams listed.
Here’s a look at the NCAA Tournament hopes for the Big Ten teams as the Big Ten tournament begins on Wednesday.
Big Dance-Bound
Purdue could probably fall short in the Big Ten tournament and still secure a No. 1 seed in the March Madness bracket. The Boilermakers are tied with UConn for second in the nation with 11 Quad 1 wins and all three losses have come to Quad 1 teams.
The Boilermakers are 7-0 against teams ranked in the Top 25 in the national polls and are sitting second in the NCAA NET rankings. Purdue also happens to have the top strength of schedule in the country.
Illinois is 15th in the NCAA NET rankings with one Quad 2 loss and a 5-6 record in Quad 1 games, keeping the Fighting Illini from making a push for the top 10.
Two of the losses for Illinois came when leading scorer Terrence Shannon Jr. missed time as a result of sexual assault allegations. Illinois ended the regular season with a win over Iowa and could open the conference tournament against the Hawkeyes.
Wisconsin lost three of its last four games to fall into fifth place in the Big Ten standings. A 3-9 road record is one of the issues with the Badgers’ body of work. Four Quad 2 losses could be a problem. However, Wisconsin is 22nd in the NCAA NET rankings.
Michigan State is 19th in strength of schedule and that has helped to push the Spartans into the top 25 in the NCAA NET rankings. Despite a 3-8 record in Quad 1 games, the Spartans are 24th in the NCAA NET rankings. The Spartans are just 2-6 in games in the top 25 of the Associated Press poll.
On the Bubble
Northwestern has lost two of its last three games but still finished tied for third in the Big Ten during the regular season. The eight Quad 4 games and one Quad 4 loss have the Wildcats at No. 50 in the NCAA NET rankings. Northwestern does have wins over Purdue and Illinois and, the last time out, rolled to a 24-point win over Minnesota. Northwestern could meet up with Purdue in the Big Ten semifinals.
Nebraska has 22 wins but a 4-6 in Quad 1 games is one reason why the Cornhuskers are just at 37th in the NCAA NET rankings.
Iowa is sitting at No. 60 in the NCAA NET rankings after the Hawkeyes lost to 12 points at home to Illinois to fall to 1-6 against ranked teams.
Wait ‘Til Next Year
Ohio State, Maryland and Minnesota come in at No. 55, No. 77 and No. 86 in the NCAA NET rankings.
Ohio State owns a win over Purdue but the Buckeyes have only five Quad 1 or Quad 2 wins and are 2-8 on the road.
Maryland has a losing record in Quad 3 contests and has dropped eight of its 10 Quad 1 games. Minnesota has the best record in the nation against the college basketball spread but that can’t overcome some of the other numbers, including a 1-8 mark in Quad 1 games.
No. 89 Penn State, No. 93 Indiana and No. 102 Rutgers would need to win the Big Ten tournament to be a part of the March Madness bracket.
Questions of the Day
Which Big Ten teams have the best record against the spread against ranked teams this season?
Minnesota has covered against the Las Vegas NCAAB odds in all three of its games against ranked teams while Purdue is 5-1-1 ATS when facing teams in the top 25 in the national polls.
Which Big Ten team has the best odds to reach the Final Four?
Purdue is priced at +160 to reach the Final Four and that trails only defending national champion UConn. Illinois is the next Big Ten team with +700 odds to advance to the Final Four.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
