After two days of what amounts to preliminary play, the big boys of the Big Ten get involved in the conference tournament starting Friday, with Michigan vs Wisconsin generating the biggest betting interest.
Michigan vs Wisconsin odds highlight Big Ten betting Friday
Michigan lost as a small favorite to Wisconsin earlier in the year and they are chalk again today as the Big Ten tournament odds gain traction with bettors. Three other Big Ten quarterfinals also go Friday, check it out.
Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports
In the only previous meeting this year between the Badgers and Wolverines, Wisconsin got a game-tying desperation 3-pointer from Ben Brust at the buzzer to tie the game at 60-60. Then they won it in overtime 65-62 as a 2-point home underdog.
On Friday, the Wolverines are small favorites, according to the college basketball odds menu at OddsShark.com, which provides lines information to SBNation.com. Of note, 8 of the past 10 meetings have played under the total, according to the matchup report.
To review what’s happened in the Big Ten tournament so far, Thursday saw the Minnesota Gophers squander a late lead and lose in classic choke fashion to the Fighting Illini of Illinois 51-49 on a basket at the buzzer by Brandon Paul.
Then the fifth-seeded Michigan Wolverines pulled away from the Penn State Nittany Lions for a 83-66 victory. Then the 10th-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers pulled off a 57-55 upset over the Purdue Boilermakers.
And finally the sixth-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes, trying to play their way into the NCAA tournament, dispatched of the Northwestern Wildcats 73-59.
So Friday’s odds action goes like this; first, Illinois runs into top-seeded Indiana; then Michigan goes against fourth-seeded Wisconsin; then second-seeded Ohio State plays Nebraska; and finally third-seeded Michigan State battles Iowa.
In the early betting the Hoosiers were favored by 9.5 points over the Illini, and the Wolverines were favored by three points over the Badgers.
In the only previous meeting this season between Indiana and Illinois the Illini rallied from down a dozen points at halftime to upset the Hoosiers in Champaign 74-72, winning outright as seven-point home dogs.
The Buckeyes swept two games from the ‘Huskers during the regular season, winning 70-44 at home and 63-56 in Lincoln.
And in the only previous meeting this season between the Spartans and Hawkeyes Michigan State rallied from down four points with two minutes to go to win in Iowa City 62-59.
On the updated Big Ten tournament betting board, Indiana is listed as a +115 favorite, followed by Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State all at +250, Wisconsin at +500, Illinois at +1500, Iowa at +2000 and Nebraska at +7500.
