2024 Big Ten Conference Odds: Boilermakers Big Favorites
Illinois Given Best Chance to Upset Purdue
The Purdue Boilermakers are favored to punch their ticket to the Big Dance by winning the Big Ten Conference Tournament. If Purdue is successful, that pretty much sews up a No. 1 seed. There’s no question the Boilermakers are the best team in the tournament, but the best team doesn’t always win.
There are several teams capable of making big runs in the tournament and pulling off an upset or two. The 2024 Big Ten Conference odds are showing the tournament as a two-team battle, however, and Purdue is the even money favorite.
Purdue Boilermakers (Even)
The Boilermakers are the top team in the Big Ten Conference and one of the best in the nation. Zach Edey has done everything asked of him and Purdue won the regular season title by three games over Illinois. Purdue has the best offense in the nation, according to the KenPom rankings.
In Big Ten play, Purdue shot 41.8% from 3-point range and led the conference in offensive rebounds, effective field goal percentage and getting to the foul line. The only weaker areas were foul shooting and turners, although they weren’t that bad in either.
The defense isn’t bad. Purdue gets penalized a little bit in the efficiency ratings for not forcing turnovers and making steals. The Boilermakers are second in 2-point defense, but can allow the opposition to make some 3-pointers. Purdue was solid at preventing offensive rebounds or sending teams to the foul line.
Illinois Fighting Illini (+285)
The 2024 Big Ten Conference odds have Illinois as the team most likely to upset Purdue. The Illini lost both regular season meetings to Purdue, however they were close games with the Boilermakers winning by five and six points. Illinois is one of the few teams in the country that can come close to matching Purdue offensively.
The Illini are No. 4 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten. Illinois doesn’t have any weaknesses offensively and does pretty much everything well.
The defense can be a different story. Illinois is No. 13 in 3-point defense, allowing 38.8%, and not much better in forcing turnovers or blocking shots. The 2-point defense isn’t bad, but it’s hard to call Illinois anything but an average defensive team.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (+900)
The Cornhuskers are another team who are dinged in the efficiency ratings due to one or two poor areas. Nebraska is ranked No. 6 in the conference’s offensive efficiency ratings, primarily due to a lack of offense rebounds and not getting to the foul line.
The ‘Huskers are one of the best teams from the field in the Big Ten, ranking No. 2 in effective field goal percentage and No. 4 in 3-point shooting.
Nebraska is solid on defense. The Cornhuskers are No. 1 in 2-point defense and No. 3 in effective field goal percentage. The biggest problem for Nebraska is if gives up a few too many offensive rebounds.
The Cornhuskers ranked No. 11 during the regular season. Nebraska is a little inconsistent, looking great at some times and pretty poor at others. The college basketball scores show Cornhuskers beat Purdue 88-72, but also lost by 22 points at Maryland and by 29 at home to Creighton.
Michigan State Spartans (+900)
The Spartans ended the regular season with a thud, losing four of their last five to finish 10-10 in conference play. That means they’ll have to play an extra game in the tournament. Still, anytime you get odds of +900 with Tom Izzo, it grabs your attention.
KenPom has the Spartans ranked as the No. 3 team in the conference, although they are nearly 10 points lower than Purdue. Michigan State isn’t a great offensive team, but they are solid on 3-pointers, ranking third in the Big Ten.
Michigan State is going to play tough defense. That’s an Izzo trademark. The Spartans are decent all-around but don’t have the real strengths and weaknesses of Purdue or Illinois. Still, MSU is built for tournaments and probably shouldn’t be overlooked.
Wisconsin Badgers (+1400)
With the 2024 Big Ten Conference odds showing Wisconsin at +1400, the Badgers are definite longshots here, but are the fourth-best team in the conference in the KenPom rankings. Wisconsin is pretty solid on offense, ranking No. 5 in the efficiency ratings.
It’s the defense that can be an adventure. The Badgers are worst in the Big Ten at 3-point defense and not a whole better defending the 2-pointer. Barring a big defensive turnaround, the Badgers will come up short.
Northwestern Wildcats (+1600)
The Wildcats are one of those teams who will live and die with the 3-pointer. Northwestern led the conference in 3-point shooting, but even if the they were falling, there was no guarantee the Wildcats would win. That’s because the defense is horrible.
Northwestern can’t defend and sends teams to the foul line too often. A definite longshot, but the Wildcats have a shooter’s chance, which is more than can be said for some teams.
Who to Bet On?
Obviously, the NCAAB basketball predictions have Purdue winning each game. It’s up to bettors to decide whether they want to try to beat the favorite or not. If you back Purdue, nobody can really fault you. The Boilermakers are the best team in the Big Ten, but they can have an off night.
If you’re going to go with a longshot, you can do worse than Michigan State +900. It won’t be easy for the Spartans, as their first game against Minnesota is a tough one, although they are offering fair value.
The tournament begins on Wednesday with a couple of decent games. Neither should probably be one of your best college basketball bets tomorrow, but the Iowa vs. Ohio State game is one that bears watching.
For NCAAB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
