Big Ten Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Betting Preview
Conference tournaments start at the end of the regular season. These occur in March and are considered the unofficial start of March Madness. The Big 10 is one of the power conferences in Division 1 Athletics. This term refers to schools with bigger budgets.
The conference includes 14 schools even though it is called the Big 10. They include Indiana University, the University of Maryland, Michigan University, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Penn State, Rutgers University, Illinois University, Iowa University, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska, Northwestern U, Purdue and the University of Wisconsin. Rutgers and Maryland are the only East Coast members. The rest are more Midwest schools.
The Big 10 has a rich and storied tradition when it comes to men's basketball. Legendary and infamous Indiana Head Coach led the Hooisers to three National Championships in 1976, 1981 and 1987. He accumulated 662 wins from 1971 to 2000. Knight was fired after several incidents where he threw a chair and angrily put his hands on players. The University of Maryland is one of the newer members. They joined the Big 10 in 2014. Terrapin fans are some of the most passionate in college basketball. They won the national championship in 2002 behind the smart coaching of Gary Williams and the shrewd guard play of Juan Dixon. Michigan University is known for the controversial Fab 5 era. Five in your face and loud freshmen, including Jalen Rose, led the Wolverines to the Final 4 two years in a row. Michigan State is home to legendary coach Tom Izzo. They are known for their gritty defensive play and being an annual Final 4 threat. The Spartans are also known for alum Magic Johnson who helped them win a National Championship.
The current Big 10 season is under way. ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has 8-9 teams in his projected 2019 NCAA tournament. Michigan and Michigan State are currently in the top 10. Both are serious Final 4 contenders. Purdue, Maryland, Wisconsin and Iowa are also in strong position for March.
The Big 10 tournament will be March 13th to the 17th in Chicago. Most sportsbooks should have lines for each Big 10 tournament game. The Big 10 tournament is always exciting for basketball fans. Consider placing a bet on teams from one of the top conferences in division 1 college athletics.
