Point Spread: A Few Surprising Betting Lines in First Round of Big Ten Tournament

The Big Ten Tournament tips off with three first-round games on Wednesday in Indianapolis, and only one higher seed is favored, which is something of a surprise. Here's the latest on the point spreads, and a good history vs. the number for all six teams.

Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton (2) reacts following overtime against Nebraska. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

INDIANAPOLIS — The new and improved — or is it? — Big Ten Tournament begins on Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, with three first-round games. With league expansion to 18 teams this year, only 15 qualify for the conference tournament, and the bottom six teams all play on Wednesday in three first-round games.

Somewhat surprisingly, only one higher seed is favored, according to the oddsmakers at the FanDuel.com gambling website. That would be No, 10 seed Ohio State, who is a 4.5-point favorite over No. 15 Iowa. 155.5

In the other two games, No. 13 Northwestern is actually a 2.5-point favorite over No. 12 Minnesota and No. 14 USC is a 1.5-point favorite over No. 11 Rutgers.

Here's a look at all three games vs, the number, listed in order of start times:

No. 12 Minnesota vs. No. 13 Northwestern

• Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• TV/Streaming: Peacock
• Point spread: Northwestern is a 2.5-point favorite, and the over/under is 127.5
• Records: Minnesota is 15-16 overall, and 7-13 in the Big Ten. Northwestern is 16-15 overall, and 7-13 in Big Ten.
• Season results: Northwestern beat Minnesota 75-63 on Feb. 25 in Minneapolis as a 1.5-point underdog.
• The skinny: Ben Johnson deserves a lot of credit at Minnesota. Picked to finish last (18th) in the Big Ten, they won seven league games anyway. But Northwestern is a bad matchup for them. In that February loss, they didn't have an answer defensively for Nick Martinelli, who torched them for 29 points. They need more out of Mike Mitchell, who was 0-for-6 that game. Dawson Garcia is their best player, but he needs help.
• The edge: I really thought Northwestern would fall apart after Brooks Barnhizer was lost for the season (foot) on Jan. 29. He's the heart and soul of this team. They've won four games since then, beating USC, Minnesota, Ohio State and Iowa, who are all playing on Wednesday. They still guard, and Chris Collins is a heck of a coach. I see Northwestern advancing here.
• What's next: The winner gets No. 5 seed Wisconsin on Thursday in the second round, at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET.

Northwestern coach Chris Collins looks on during the first half against Minnesota Golden at Williams Arena. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

No. 10 Ohio State vs. No. 15 Iowa

• Game time: Approximately 6 p.m. ET (25 minutes after first game)
• TV/Streaming: Peacock
• Point spread: Ohio State is a 4.5-point favorite, and the over/under is 155.5
• Records: Ohio State is 17-14 overall, and 9-11 in the Big Ten. Iowa is 16-15 overall, and 7-13 in Big Ten.
• Season results: Ohio State beat Iowa 82-65 on Jan. 27 in Columbus as a 7.5-point favorite.
• The skinny: Ohio State fell to the 10 seed — and an extra game — after losing the season finale to Indiana, blowing a five-point lead. The Buckeyes have been a hard team to figure all year, but they were really good on Jan. 27, when they whipped Iowa by 17. It was Iowa's fourth-lowest offensive output of the season.
• The edge: Iowa has played well lately in the tournament, and they were lucky to just get into this event after upsetting Nebraska. The Hawkeyes aren't very good up front with Owen Freeman (finger) lost for the season, but Ohio State isn't great at the rim either. I can see an upset happening if the Hawkeyes get hot from three. Josh Dix was 0-for-7 in the first meeting, and that's not happening again.
• What's next: The winner gets No. 7 seed Illinois on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET

No. 11 Rutgers vs. No. 14 USC

• Game time: Approximately 8:30 p.m. ET (25 minutes after second game)
• TV/Streaming: Peacock
• Point spread: USC is a 1.5-point favorite, and the over/under is 153.5
• Records: Rutgers is 15-16 overall, and 8-12 in the Big Ten. USC is 15-16 overall, and 7-13 in Big Ten.
• Season results: Rutgers beat USC 95-85 on Feb. 23 in Piscataway, N.J. as a 3.5-point favorite.
• The skinny: A lot more was expected from Rutgers this season with standout freshmen Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper in the lineup, but a lack of depth beyond them has led to issues. They can score at will at times, as was evident in the win over USC in February. With plenty of NBA scouts watching, don't be surprised if Bailey and Harper go nuts on Wednesday.
• The edge:I find it a bit surprising that USC is favored, because they have staggered down the stretch, going just 2-8. And Rutgers, whose only hope for an NCAA bid is to win it all, will be giving their all. USC can't really guard Bailey, and I can see him going off in this game, kind of like he did at Indiana that night when he scored 39 points.
• What's next: The winner gets No. 6 seed Purdue on Thursday at approximately 9 p.m. ET

Rutgers' Ace Bailey (right) smiles during the second half vs. Indiana in January 2025. He had 39 points in a loss to Indiana. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Related Big Ten Tournament stories

• SCHEDULE, LIVE TRACKER: There is the complete schedule for all 14 games of the Big Ten Tournament, with dates, gametimes, pairings, TV information and more. We'll update it all in real time throughout the event, so bookmark this file. CLICK HERE

• MEET THE OPPONENT: When Indiana and Oregon meet in the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday, it will be just over a week since they played each other. Oregon won that one with a late rally. Here's everything you need to know about the Ducks. CLICK HERE

• BRACKETOLOGY: Indiana’s victory over Ohio State on Saturday was vital, but the Hoosiers still likely need one more win to feel safe. That means other NCAA Tournament bubble teams must still be watched. CLICK HERE

• TODD GOLDEN COLUMN: Indiana is ending the season in a way that generates enthusiasm from the fanbase. The Hoosiers have left them wanting more, which is a good thing. CLICK HERE