Big Ten Conference action begins in earnest Friday night when the Maryland Terrapins visit the Indiana Hoosiers in the conference season opener for both universities.
The Terrapins are the third favorites (+700) to win the Big Ten Conference championship, just behind Michigan State (+380) and Purdue (+150). Let’s look closer at the DraftKings Maryland Big Ten Championship futures board and see if Maryland or maybe someone else is a good bet to raise the Big Ten Championship banner when the champion is crowned on March 17.
|
University |
DraftKings Big Ten Championship Odds |
|---|---|
|
Purdue Boilermakers |
+150 |
|
Michigan State Spartans |
+380 |
|
Maryland Terrapins |
+700 |
|
Illinois Fighting Illini |
+800 |
|
Indiana Hoosiers |
+1200 |
|
Ohio State Buckeyes |
+1500 |
|
Wisconsin Badgers |
+1500 |
|
Michigan Wolverines |
+2000 |
|
Northwestern Wildcats |
+4000 |
|
Nebraska Cornhuskers |
+4000 |
|
Iowa Hawkeyes |
+4000 |
|
Rutgers Scarlet Knights |
+5000 |
|
Penn State Nittany Lions |
+8000 |
|
Minnesota Golden Gophers |
+15000 |
Big Ten 2023-2024 Big Ten Championship Odds Analysis
I’m using DraftKings Maryland for the purposes of this post. Not every Maryland sportsbook has the same odds as DraftKings. Therefore, before making any wager, I would encourage you to visit as many Maryland sportsbooks as possible and look for the best odds and prices.
The Short List
Purdue is a short favorite to win the national championship. They returned National Player of the Year Zach Edey and are off to a 6-0 start. The Boilermakers have reeled off consecutive wins over nationally ranked opponents Gonzaga, Tennessee, and Marquette and are poised to win their second consecutive Big Ten Championship. Purdue travels to Northwestern in its season opener on December 1.
Michigan State is the second favorite to win the conference. They are playing .500 ball thus far with a pair of losses to nationally ranked Arizona and Duke and their season-opening overtime loss to James Madison.
Noted CBB expert Kenneth Pomeroy ranks the Spartans as one of the unluckiest teams in the country. MSU opens its Big Ten season when it hosts Wisconsin on Tuesday, December 5.
Maryland is 3-3 thus far and suffered a 17-point loss to Marquette in their only top-25 meeting this season. Pomeroy ranks Maryland 57th in the nation and well behind eight other Big Ten groups.
They had difficulty scoring the basketball against Marquette, which is worrisome as they approach a deep Big Ten conference. Maryland opens the conference season at Indiana on Friday night.
They Might Have a Chance
Nebraska is the only other undefeated Big Ten team, but they haven’t played anyone outside of Pomeroy’s top 80. +4000 isn’t enough of a wager for a team that hasn’t faced anyone and plays in a loaded conference with two teams in the top 25 rankings.
Illinois (+800) has just one defeat (Marquette), but that was a home loss. They boast one of the best defenses nationally but are inconsistent on the offensive end and lousy from the charity stripe.
Ohio State (+1500) had a big win over Alabama but lost a tough one at home to Texas A&M. The Buckeyes will improve defensively, but will it be enough to win the Big Ten? Probably not, and +1500 isn’t worth the risk.
Finally, Indiana lost by 20 to UConn on a neutral court, but the Huskies are the only good team Indiana has met thus far. They are currently one of the worst three-point shooting teams nationally, and their defense is suspect. The Hoosiers may have a strong season, but +1200 isn’t worth the risk for a team that would need a miracle to win.
