There is one massive favorite to win the Big Ten Tournament this March, with Purdue entering as the defending conference champ and holding a 28-3 record along with the No. 3 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll. The Boilermakers are looking to repeat by riding 7-foot-4 star Zach Edey, the reigning National Player of the Year and a leading candidate to win that award again. Challengers to Purdue (+100) include Illinois (+350), Nebraska (+1000), Michigan State (+1400), and Wisconsin (+1600).
The Big Ten Tournament runs from Wednesday to the championship game Sunday at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Here is a breakdown of the top contenders for the Big Ten crown. March Madness odds are also available for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
Updated Big Ten Tournament odds
- Purdue:
- Illinois:
- Nebraska:
- Michigan State:
- Wisconsin:
- Ohio State:
- Northwestern:
- Indiana:
- Iowa: Eliminated
- Maryland: Eliminated
- Minnesota: Eliminated
- Penn State: Eliminated
- Rutgers: Eliminated
- Michigan: Eliminated
Current favorites to win the Big Ten Tournament
Purdue ()
A second consecutive conference tournament title would likely lock up a No. 1 seed for Purdue in the NCAA Tournament once again. The Boilermakers suffered a stunning March Madness loss last year to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson. This year, Purdue has been on a mission with the ninth-best average scoring margin (+14) in the nation. Purdue has a slew of talented guards around Edey, and his presence has contributed to the team notching the second-best 3-point percentage (41.1%) in the nation, with defenses collapsing on the center.
Illinois ()
The Illini started the season hot and finished strong with a 6-2 run in conference play, losing a close contest at Penn State and playing Purdue close in a 77-71 loss on March 5. Illinois is led by senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who hails from Chicago. Additionally, senior forward Marcus Domask has come on strong lately with 21 points per game over his last four outings. Illinois won the Big Ten Tournament in 2021.
Nebraska ()
Nebraska grabbed the No. 3 seed in the tournament and is third on the odds board, in part because the Cornhuskers beat Purdue in January and lost in overtime at Illinois in February. Nebraska’s defense has held opponents to the fifth-lowest field goal percentage (39.6%) in the nation, and Japanese guard Keisei Tominaga has been lighting it up from deep recently.
Michigan State ()
While the Spartans enter the tournament as the No. 8 seed, they’re fourth in the odds in part because of their reputation. Tom Izzo has routinely led his program on deep runs in the NCAA Tournament and has navigated the Big Ten bracket for trophies four times since 2012. But after losing four of their last five to end the season, the Spartans may need to make the Big Ten Championship to have a good shot at a March Madness ticket. Their first matchup comes against Minnesota, which split its regular season meetings with MSU and has a home court advantage in Minneapolis.
Wisconsin ()
Wisconsin is another blue blood program with a long history of success in the conference and beyond. This season, the Badgers are just 3-9 on the road, but they’re 2-0 at neutral sites and 14-3 at home. They finished with close losses to Indiana, Illinois, and Purdue in three of their final four games and will look to make a run from the No. 5 seed beginning Thursday with a matchup against either Rutgers or Maryland.
Northwestern ()
The No. 4 seed in the bracket is getting long odds to make a run to a title, which would almost certainly have to go through Purdue. The Huskies suffered a 105-91 loss in overtime at Purdue on Jan. 31, and they’ve played several close conference games since. Northwestern is likely on the bubble of the March Madness picture entering this tournament.
Big Ten Tournament odds movement
At the beginning of the regular season, Purdue opened as the favorite to repeat, followed by Michigan State and Maryland. Illinois has hopped those teams to grab the No. 2 seed in the tournament and the spot as the second favorite to navigate the field. Nebraska is the biggest riser after opening the season with odds of +4000, and Indiana has fallen from +1300 to +8000 entering the tournament. You can also find information about March Madness betting sites for wagering on the upcoming NCAA tourney.
Big 10 Tournament odds FAQ
Purdue is favored to repeat as the Big Ten Tournament champion with a solid roster around star center Zach Edey.
Odds are available for NCAA basketball conference tournaments throughout the country in multiple states, with North Carolina just recently joining that club with the launch of legal online betting on March 11. Check the sports betting rules in your state to get started.
The winner of the Big Ten Tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, with selections for March Madness coming on Sunday, March 17. Teams that are on the bubble of making March Madness will need strong showings in the tournament to make a final case for the committee.
