As if the state of Indiana isn’t home to enough sports betting news this week, it will also be the host of this year’s Big Ten title tournament as the top teams in the conference go head-to-head at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. It appeared as though the No. 8 Michigan State Spartans were deserving of the top seed in the conference until they blew the opportunity to close out the Big Ten season schedule with a home win over the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes, leaving them in a three-way tie for top spot with the No. 13 Michigan Wolverines completing the trio at 13-5 in conference play. While the battle to be called the best in the Big Ten will be the biggest focus when the tournament gets underway, the Northwestern Wildcats will also attract attention as a bubble team looking to make the March Madness picks tournament.
After all, the Wildcats are the only BCS conference team that has never reached the NCAA title tournament, and they are right there knocking on the door this season. Northwestern didn’t help its own cause with a pair of overtime losses to Michigan that also allowed the Wolverines to climb in to the picture at the top of the conference, and will now need at least two wins to have a chance at the big dance. The Wildcats will open with a game against Minnesota, and ironically, the Wolverines waiting for them in the next round. Earning another shot at Michigan will be the first step for Northwestern, but then they must prove that they can beat them after all.
Even if they get past the Wolverines nobody will expect the Wildcats to deal with an Ohio State team that they lost twice to during the Big Ten season, even though they kept the gap to just two points in the second meeting between the two. The Buckeyes have to be considered the favorite in the tournament with their win over the Spartans and the fact that Michigan State will be without one of its top players in Branden Dawson, who will be out with a knee injury. The freshman forward brought considerable toughness to the Spartans’ lineup and helped open space for his teammates on the floor, and there is no doubt that he will be missed in tournament play. The Spartans aren’t a lock for one of the top seeds if they don’t reach the final, although playing on the opposite side of the sportsbook reviews bracket where they won’t have to face the Wolverines and Buckeyes should help.
The wild card heading in to the tournament is Michigan, which needed overtime in both of its wins over Northwestern, and lost by at least 10 points to both Michigan State and Ohio State despite finding a way to also beat each of those teams once. The Wolverines are not as talented as the top contenders they will play, and despite a good run it is unlikely they will make very much noise in the Big Ten title tournament picks, with a potential final between the Buckeyes and Spartans the most likely conclusion.
