Big Ten March Madness: Purdue, Illinois Set to Dance
Purdue and Illinois have already secured the top two seeds in the upcoming Big Ten tournament. 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?
Illinois and Purdue are the only teams from the Big Ten ranked in the Top 25 in the national polls. How many Big Ten teams will be going dancing?
Purdue is the only Big Ten team with a winning record on the road and with a winning mark against ranked teams. That is something to consider when it comes to the March Madness odds.
When looking at the college basketball futures odds, Purdue (+700) has the second-best odds of winning the NCAAM championship. Illinois (+3000) and Wisconsin (+8000) are the next Big Ten teams listed.
Here’s a look at the NCAA Tournament hopes for the Big Ten teams with just one game left to play.
Big Dance-Bound
Purdue does have some margin for error when it comes to securing 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.
“Purdue has nine wins over teams ranked in the Top 25 of the NET. … [UConn and Houston] combined only have eight. Purdue should be the No. 1 seed overall in the NCAA Tournament.”
—@GaryParrishCBS on @BoilerBall pic.twitter.com/BWlw6YV5Il
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 6, 2024
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 16th in the NCAA NET rankings with two Quad 2 losses 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.
Wisconsin lost two of its last three games to fall into fourth place in the Big Ten standings. A 3-8 road record isn’t going to look good when the NCAA Selection Committee gets together. Four Quad 2 losses could be a problem.
Michigan State is 12th in strength of schedule and that has helped to push them into the top 25 in the NCAA NET rankings. Despite a 4-8 record in Quad 1 games, the Spartans are 23rd in the NCAA NET rankings.
Take A Look At These Other 2 NCAAB March Madness Special Articles
- ACC March Madness Update: Crowd Forming on Bubble
- March Madness Update: Big 12 Contenders Are Tourney Threats
On the Bubble
Northwestern has lost its last two games and is sitting at 20-10. The seven Quad 4 games and one Quad 4 loss can’t be overlooked, which has the Wildcats at No. 52 in the NCAA NET rankings. Northwestern does have wins over Purdue and Illinois. The Wildcats wrap up the regular season by playing Minnesota.
Nebraska has also won 20 games. However, 13 of the first 20 victories have come in Quad 3 or Quad 4 games, and that will not impress the selection committee. Eighteen of the 21 wins for Nebraska have come at home.
Nebraska is 2-8 on the road and 3-7 in Quad 1 games.
Iowa is sitting at No. 57 in the NCAA NET rankings. The Hawkeyes wrap up the regular season playing at home against a ranked Illinois team and a win would be a huge boost for Iowa.
Wait ‘Til Next Year
Ohio State, Maryland and Minnesota come in at No. 59, No. 72, and No. 82 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 1-8 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 1-7 mark in Quad 1 games.
No. 92 Rutgers, No. 95 Indiana, No. 96 Penn State, and No. 129 Michigan would need to win the Big Ten tournament to be a part of the March Madness bracket.
College basketball lines are heating up. Bet on March Madness and see if you can be the champion!
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.
