Big Ten Tournament Odds: Purdue vs Ohio State a Finals Preview?
Top Two Teams in Big Ten Meet Thursday Night

The Big Ten Conference has the game of the day in college basketball Thursday, as the No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers visit the No. 24 Ohio State Buckeyes. Other conference teams are rated higher in the AP poll than Ohio State. But both the Sagarin college basketball ratings and Ken Pomeroy have Purdue and Ohio State rated 1-2 in the conference. The preseason Big Ten Tournament odds had Purdue No. 5 and the Buckeyes tied for No. 6. But Thursday’s game could be a conference tournament finals preview.
Thursday, Jan. 5
Purdue Boilermakers vs Ohio State Buckeyes
Date & Time & Streaming:
Location: Value Center Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
Streaming: FOX Sports 1
Purdue (13-1) visits Ohio State (10-3) in what should be a great game between two solid teams. The NCAAB spreads show the Buckeyes as 1.5-point favorites with a total of 141.5. Purdue has the No. 5 offense in adjusted efficiency, while Ohio State is No. 65 in defense. The Buckeyes are No. 2 in adjusted offensive efficiency and Purdue is No. 31 on defense. Purdue doesn’t shoot the 3-pointer very well but still attempts a fair number of them. The Buckeyes are No. 10 in the nation at defending the 3-pointer. Purdue should play to its strength, which is the 2-pointer. If 3-pointers are tough to come by, the under has a fair chance in this one.
Indiana Hoosiers vs Iowa Hawkeyes
Date, Time & Streaming:
Location: Carver Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, Iowa)
Streaming: FOX Sports 1
Indiana (10-3) visits Iowa (8-6) in the late televised game on Thursday. The opening line saw Iowa open as 1.5-point favorites and drop to Iowa -1. The Hoosiers were the conference preseason favorite, with Big Ten Tournament odds of +285. But Indiana has been passed by several teams who have played better. The Hoosiers aren’t a bad team and have a massive defensive edge against Iowa. While the Hawkeyes get a slight edge in offense, it’s all Indiana on defense. The Hoosiers rank No. 21 in adjusted defensive efficiency, while Iowa ranks No. 112. Iowa has played a tougher schedule than Indiana but this could be a tough game for the Hawkeyes.
Saturday, Jan. 7
Wisconsin Badgers vs Illinois Fighting Illini
Date, Time & Streaming:
Location: State Farm Center (Champaign, Illinois)
Streaming: ESPN2
A great Saturday afternoon matchup in Illinois, where the Badgers come visiting. Both teams are solid on the defensive end, while Illinois gets a decent edge offensively. The Illini rank No. 53 in adjusted offensive efficiency compared to Wisconsin at No. 95. One reason for Wisconsin’s low offensive rating is offensive rebounds, where Wisconsin ranks No. 340 in the league. The Illini will be favored by about 5 and Wisconsin’s only chance is to get hot from 3-point range. They’re No. 22 in the nation shooting 3s, so the Badgers can get hot at any time.
Michigan Wolverines vs Michigan State Spartans
Date, Time & Streaming:
Location: Breslin Center (East Lansing, Mich.)
Streaming: FOX
Another good game between two evenly matched team. The Spartans will be small favorites in this one. The Wolverines are No. 34 in adjusted offensive efficiency, while MSU is No. 45. On defense, the Spartans get the edge checking in at No. 50, while Michigan is No. 72. The Wolverines are another poor offensive rebounding team, which has an impact on their offensive rating. The Wolverines were second in the preseason Big Ten Tournament odds but Michigan hasn’t lived up to expectations. At MSU -3.5 or less, the Spartans deserve consideration.
Sunday, Jan. 8
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Maryland Terrapins
Date, Time & Streaming:
Location: Xfinity Center (College Park, Maryland)
Streaming: ESPN
Once again, the Buckeyes find themselves in arguably the best game of the day, this time taking to the road to face a good Maryland squad. Naturally, a win over Purdue Thursday would make this a possible letdown down spot for Ohio State. The Terrapins play pretty solid defense, so this one isn’t going to be easy. Maryland is another team that doesn’t shoot the 3-pointer well but take a lot of shots from long range. That could be playing into Ohio State’s hands in this one.
Purdue Boilermakers vs Penn State Nittany Lions
Date, Time & Streaming:
Location: Palestra (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Streaming: Big Ten Network
The Nittany Lions are playing this one in Philadelphia, so it’s not a true home game for the Nittany Lions. But they’ll still have a huge crowd advantage. Both teams have decent defenses but one thing they don’t do is force turnovers.
‘Both teams rank No. 321 or worse in forcing turnovers. Purdue’s biggest edge is offensive rebounds. The Boilermakers are No. 2 in the country. Penn State is No. 360. Purdue looks to be the right side depending on the outcome of the Ohio State game.’
If Purdue lost to the Buckeyes, they deserve a solid look here and should be included in your college basketball parlays provided the line is Purdue -5 or less.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Date, Time & Streaming:
Location: Jersey Mike’s Arena (Piscataway, N.J.)
Streaming: Big Ten Network
Rutgers is flying under the radar a bit this season and quietly having a pretty good year. One reason is due to the Scarlet Knights being such a good defensive team. It’s offense that gets the attention and Rutgers is better than average at No. 110 in adjusted offensive efficiency. But they’re No. 3 in defense. Rutgers will have to play a solid game to keep Iowa from scoring. Rutgers will be good-sized favorites here, with the line close to Scarlet Knights -6.5 points. If the number gets any higher than that, the Hawkeyes could be the right side.
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