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Big Ten Tournament 2023 Predictions, Odds, Schedule & How to Watch

Quinn Allen

by Quinn Allen in College Basketball

Updated Mar 6, 2023 · 3:32 PM PST

Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey battlings two Illinois defenders
Illinois Fighting Illini forward Coleman Hawkins (33) and Illinois Fighting Illini guard Luke Goode (10) defend Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) during the NCAA men’s basketball game, Sunday, March 5, 2023, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. The Purdue Boilermakers won 76-71. Purillini030523 Am8209
  • The 2023 Big Ten Tournament begins on Wednesday and runs through Sunday in Chicago
  • Purdue and Indiana are the top-two betting favorites
  • Keep reading for the odds and Big Ten Tournament predictions

The 2023 Big Ten Tournament is always one to watch ahead of March Madness and it won’t be any different this time around. All the action begins on Wednesday in Chicago with the final scheduled for Sunday at the United Center.

Purdue heads in as the No. 1 seed after they won their 13th Big Ten regular-season championship, led by star big man Zach Edey. The Boilermakers are also the betting favorite by a significant margin.

Big Ten Tournament Odds

Team Odds
Purdue +185
Indiana +440
Michigan State +650
Maryland +900
Illinois +1000
Northwestern +1000
Iowa +1200
Michigan +1500
Penn State +2500
Wisconsin +6500
Ohio State +7500
Nebraska +10000
Minnesota +25000

The Boilermakers sit above the pack at +185 odds and will be a serious contender in the March Madness bracket. Indiana is the second-favorite at +440, while Michigan State, Maryland, and Illinois round out the top five.

 

Odds as of March 6th at FanDuel. Claim the FanDuel Sportsbook promo code.

Big Ten Tournament Format

With a total of 14 teams in the tourney, the top four seeds (Purdue, Northwestern, Indiana, and Michigan State) will all earn automatic byes to the quarterfinals on Friday. Seeds 11-14 will play in the opening round on Wednesday, followed by the second round on Thursday, which featured seeds 5-10 and two programs that advance from the first round.

The winner of the tournament will earn a berth in the Big Dance, but there are also a few teams who could get an invite to March Madness even if they don’t take home the Big Ten title.

The entire tournament can be seen on the Big Ten Network and Fox Sports, with the final expected to be broadcast on ESPN.

Purdue the Deserving Favorite

Although the Big Ten was extremely tight this season with nine teams within two wins of each other, Purdue looked superior for most of the campaign. They finished with a 26-5 record overall (15-5 in conference play) and come into the tourney on a two-game winning streak.

However, the Boilermakers did lose four of seven contests in February, falling to Indiana, Northwestern, Maryland, and the Hoosiers again. Nevertheless, Matt Painter’s group spent all of 2022-23 in the AP Top 25.

That’s much in part to Edey, a National Player of the Year Candidate from Canada, who is averaging 21.9 points and 12.8 rebounds per night. the 7-foot center is extremely difficult for anyone to stop and can take over games in hot New York second. He headlines the Boilermakers’ 16th nationally-ranked offense.

Outside of Purdue, it’s an absolute toss-up, though. Northwestern is the No. 2 seed but before an important win over Rutgers recently, they lost three in a row. Indiana and Michigan State have also been streaky over the last month. If Purdue bows out early, it simply comes down to who can go on a run and get hot.

Big Ten Tournament Predictions

Despite Purdue showing some inconsistency toward the end of the regular season, I have to back them here. They’re a very solid team and Edey is an absolute force to be reckoned with. The best team in the Big Ten will prove its worth in Chicago.

Pick: Purdue (+185)

 

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