This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
The Big Ten championship will be the last game the NCAA Tournament selection committee sees before brackets are set for March Madness, but who will cut down the nets? In this series, we'll preview the tournament, make a pick and offer a potentially under-the-radar value bet.
Big Ten Conference Tournament Odds
- Michigan -105
- Illinois +460
- Purdue +600
- Michigan State +650
- Nebraska +1000
- Wisconsin +3000
- UCLA +3500
- Iowa +5000
- Ohio State +7500
- Indiana +10000
- Washington +20000
- Minnesota +30000
- Northwestern +30000
- Oregon +30000
- USC +30000
Check out the RotoWire CBB betting section for a complete list of the latest college basketball odds across multiple sportsbooks.
The Big Ten favorite is no surprise, as Michigan has spent time at or near the top of the rankings all season long. Not only is Dusty May's crew the favorite to win the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center in Chicago, but the Wolverines are a good bet to go to the Final Four in what's been a historic season in the conference.
Michigan looked like an unstoppable force early in the season, but Duke and Wisconsin provided a blueprint to teams on how to top the Wolverines. Still, it seems inevitable that the Wolverines will be cutting down the nets in the Windy City.
If we're going to look outside of the box, and find some value, it's hard to not like Illinois, playing in its home state. And you know the Illini would like another crack at the Wolverines after losing 84-70 in Champaign on Feb. 27. The Illini did lose four times in the final eight games, so that's concerning, but three of those setbacks were in overtime. One or two bounces the other way, and things might be much different. The Illini were super close.
Purdue has the next shortest odds, and it had seven losses inside the conference. The Boilermakers are still 8-7 in 15 Quad 1 games, and a combined 15-0 in Q2, Q3 and Q4 games. It's time for big boy basketball now, and it remains to be seen if Purdue is that natty contender, or the team which lost to Fairleigh Dickinson a few years back.
Going into late-January, Nebraska was a perfect 20-0, but it is just 6-5 across the past 11 games, and not someone to hang your hat upon, either.
If you're looking for value, outside of Illinois, consider Michigan State. It lost twice to Michigan, which is no embarrassment, and its other setbacks were to Minnesota and Wisconsin. The loss to the Golden Gophers was a shocker, but they also had quality wins over Illinois at home, and Purdue on the road. Sparty is legit, as always.
- Pick to win Big Ten Tournament: Michigan -105
- Best Big Ten value pick: Illinois +460
Think your team has what it takes to win it all in March Madness? Find College Basketball National Championship Odds and other college basketball futures bets across multiple sportsbooks on RotoWire.
