Big Ten Tournament Betting Guide: Why Illinois Is the Value Play

Michigan has looked like one of the best basketball teams in the country all season long. They’ve only stumbled once during conference play, in a game where Wisconsin nailed 15 threes. They’re coming into the tournament at even money to win the event, so there isn’t much juice in picking them to win.

Outside of the Wolverines, the Big 10 is pretty wide open. Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State, and Nebraska are the next group of contenders, all having +1000 or better odds to win the Big 10.

Illinois is probably the most consistent contender out of that group. Freshman Keaton Wagler will be a lottery pick this summer, and he leads a team of Eastern Bloc grown men. The Balkan Boys are anchored by their two 7’0”+ twin brothers in Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic. Illinois has the best offensive rating in the country and can also throw two seven-footers at you on defense. They’re a team with national title upside.

Tom Izzo has a classic Izzo-type team. They have a ton of veterans who have grown within the Spartan program, and they play hard-nosed defense. Michigan State also has a spark-plug on offense in Jeremy Fears Jr. If he can keep his antics out of the tournament, I think betting on Michigan State at +700 is tremendous value.

The final two high-level contenders in Purdue and Nebraska aren’t entering the tournament playing their best basketball. Purdue’s Braden Smith is one of the more reliable players in the country, so I hate to count them out, but I would stay away from betting on either of these teams in Big 10 play.

If you want to bet on a long shot to win the Big 10, I think you can find some serious value in Ohio State or Iowa. These two teams have the same things in common, and it’s a star guard leading the way.

Thankfully, Ohio State closed the season strong, and they’ve essentially locked up a tournament spot for Bruce Thornton. He’s been the most underrated player in the country over his four-year career at Ohio State, and he has the ability to single-handedly win games for the Buckeyes. If Ohio State can get any support from their front court, they could make some noise in the Big 10, or at the very least offer a nice cashout from their +10000 odds.

Then, for Iowa, Bennet Stirtz is another 20-point scorer who has carried the Hawkeyes all season long. Iowa’s coming into the tournament losing three in a row, but those losses are a bad two-point road loss to Penn State, a three-point loss to Michigan, and an overtime loss at Nebraska. This team has been so close all season, and if things bounce right for them, you could get some serious value at +6500.

Still, this tournament is Michigan’s to lose, but if you want to bet on a team for plus money, I’d take a shot at Illinois at +350.