2026 Big Ten Conference Basketball Tournament Odds & Predictions

Four of college basketball’s 10 best teams reside in the Big Ten, and the depth of the conference is nothing to sneeze at either. That said, we’ll be in for a real treat when the Big Ten Conference Tournament tips off on Tuesday, March 10. Last year, Dusty May’s Michigan team won this tournament, which was impressive considering it was his first year in Ann Arbor. Well, one year later, May’s Wolverines are the betting favorites to win it again, and they also have national championship aspirations. There will, however, be a handful of other schools that can legitimately win this thing, with Illinois, a team that is essentially playing at home, being one of them. That said, there’s nothing straightforward about betting this tournament, but we’ll do our best to get you prepared below.

How to Watch the Big Ten Conference Tournament

When: March 10-15

Where: United Center in Chicago, Illinois

Format: Teams seeded by records within conference; top-eight teams receive byes to third round, top-four teams receive byes into the quarterfinals

Watch: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+; Championship Game on ESPN on Mar. 14 at 6:00 p.m. ET

College Basketball Odds | College Basketball Betting Splits | Greg Peterson’s Daily Lines | Steve Makinen’s Power Ratings

Big Ten Conference Bracket

Coming soon.

Big Ten Conference Tournament Seeds, Teams and Odds

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  1. Michigan Wolverines (-140)
  2. Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-1)
  3. Michigan State Spartans (+550)
  4. Illinois Fighting Illini (+425)
  5. Wisconsin Badgers (35-1)
  6. UCLA Bruins (35-1)
  7. Purdue Boilermakers (11-1)
  8. Ohio State Buckeyes (70-1)
  9. Iowa Hawkeyes (80-1)
  10. Indiana Hoosiers (180-1)
  11. Minnesota Golden Gophers (300-1)
  12. Washington Huskies (300-1)
  13. USC Trojans (500-1)
  14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (500-1)
  15. Northwestern Wildcats (500-1)
  16. Oregon Ducks (500-1)
  17. Maryland Terrapins (500-1)
  18. Penn State Nittany Lions (500-1)

(odds from DraftKings Sportsbook accurate at time of publish)

Favorite To Win Big Ten Conference Tournament

May is looking to lead Michigan to back-to-back conference tournament titles, and this year’s team is way better than last year’s squad. Michigan has dropped only two games this season, with one coming against a good Wisconsin team and another coming against an elite Duke team. So far, the Wolverines have earned highly impressive wins over Gonzaga (by 40), Nebraska, Michigan State, Purdue, and Illinois, and it genuinely feels like this team doesn’t have any weaknesses. The Wolverines are one of only two top-five teams when it comes to both KenPom’s Adjusted Offensive Efficiency (128.0) and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency (88.6) — and the other is the Blue Devils. Michigan is No. 2 in the nation in 2PT% (62.0) and No. 3 in 2PT% defense (43.9%). The team is also No. 51 in 3PT% (36.2), which is good enough considering the squad is seventh in 3PT% defense (29.5).

The Wolverines are just extremely good both offensively and defensively inside the 3-point line and behind it. Michigan also happens to have one of the best players in college basketball in Yaxel Lendeborg. He’s an absolute beast for this Wolverines team, looking every bit the superstar he was at UAB. Aday Mara is also a game-wrecking big man, then Morez Johnson Jr., Elliot Cadeau, Trey McKenney, Nimari Burnett, and Roddy Gayle Jr. can all look like the best player on the floor on any given night. L.J. Cason would have been included in that group, but the talented guard tore his ACL on February 27.

Big Ten Conference Tournament Darkhorse

A lot of teams have a real shot at winning this tournament. Michigan might be one of the top teams in the country, but the top-seven teams in the standings all have the goods. With that in mind, if you’re looking for a bigger payout than some of the favorites offer, I’d roll with Wisconsin. I’m an alumni and could definitely be a little biased, but the Badgers have been a top-five offensive team in the country since January 15 when looking at Torvik’s Adjusted Offensive Efficiency (130.8). They’re shooting the hell out of the 3-ball right now, ranking fifth in the nation in 3-point rate (53.0%) since that date and shooting 38.8% on the attempts. Wisconsin’s offense is just highly advanced, so this is a team that can make a deep run if the defense picks up in a win-or-go-home setting. I’ll also point out that backcourt play is huge in the postseason, and the duo of John Blackwell and Nick Boyd can hang with any pairing in the conference — and the nation. This team also won some big-time games on the road this year, suggesting the group is nails mentally. One of those wins came in Ann Arbor, so the Badgers won’t be intimidated if they take on the Wolverines in the top half of the bracket.

Betting Pick to Win the Big Ten Conference Tournament

As much as I’d like Wisconsin to win, I genuinely believe the best bet to be made in the Big Ten is Illinois. The Illini are No. 1 in the nation in KenPom’s Adjusted Offensive Efficiency (131.6), they’re a borderline top-25 defensive team, and this tournament is being played only two hours away from campus. If Brad Underwood’s team makes a deep run, there should be a healthy amount of orange in the stands. That’s a nice little advantage for the Illini, but it’s not like they need that boost. Illinois is No. 9 in the nation in 3-point rate (50.9%), can knock down outside shots, and rarely turns the ball over on offense (No. 10 in Turnover Rate – 13.4%). The Illini are also highly efficient on their 2s. Also, defensively, this team never fouls. Illinois is No. 1 in the country in Free Throw Rate defense (19.8%).

There’s just a lot of things Illinois does well fundamentally, but the talent also happens to be there. Keaton Wagler is one of the most electric on-ball creators in the country, and Kylan Boswell is another dynamic guard that can take pressure off him. The Illini also happen to have a plethora of shooters, as well as a good group of physical bigs.

Makinen Power Ratings for Big Ten Conference

Coming soon.

  • Against public perception, games with totals of 130 or less are on a 17-9-1 Over (65.4%) run in the Big Ten tournament. There was only one such game last year.
  • Heavy favorites of -6.5 points or more are on a 23-1 SU and 14-10 ATS (58.3%) run in the Big Ten tournament.
  • Teams that are off a bye in the Big Ten tournament are 25-14 SU but 13-28-2 ATS (31.7%) versus teams that already played since 2018. This makes it one of the few leagues where having a bye hasn’t proven all that beneficial.
  • The Big Ten tournament semifinals are 12-4 Over the total (75%) since 2017, including Overs in the last eight.
  • Big Ten tourney conference title game favorites are currently on a 4-5 SU and 2-7 ATS (25%) skid, including Wisconsin’s (-4.5) 59-53 loss to Michigan in 2025.

More Steve Makinen Conference Tournament Betting Trends.

Check out the other previews in our 2026 College Basketball Conference Tournament Betting Guide.

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