Big Ten Basketball Tournament Preview: Bracket, Schedule, Betting Odds, Upsets

Preview, schedule, and betting odds for the 2025 men's basketball Big Ten Tournament. The USC Trojans will face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the first round on March 12, and the tournament will be March 12-16 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Michigan State Spartans are the favorites to win the tournament.

USC coach Eric Musselman cheers his team during the first half against Oregon at Matthew Knight Arena Saturday, March 1, 2025. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025 Big Ten men’s basketball tournament is officially set to begin on Wednesday, March 12. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday, March 16.

The USC Trojans ended the season with a 15-16 record, going 7-13 in Big Ten conference play. Despite their record, the Trojans just made the tournament as the No. 14 seed. The Trojans will face the No. 11 seed, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

The Big Ten tournament features the top 15 teams in the conference. The three teams left out of the tournament are the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Washington Huskies. 

USC coach Eric Musselman cheers his team during the first half against Oregon at Matthew Knight Arena Saturday, March 1, 2025. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The four teams to get a double bye are the No. 1 Michigan State, No. 2 Maryland, No. 3 Michigan, and No. 4 UCLA. Five teams will get a single bye: the No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 6 Purdue, No. 7 Illinois, No. 8 Oregon, and No. 9 Indiana.

Betting Odds:

The Michigan State Spartans are the favorites to win the Big Ten Tournament at +250 on Fanduel Sportsbooks. The Spartans are closely followed by the Maryland Terrapins, who are at +370 to win. The USC Trojans have +19000 odds to win the tournament.

Tournament Schedule:

First Round: Wednesday, March 12

Second Round: Thursday, March 13 

Quarterfinals: Friday, March 14

Semifinals: Saturday, March 15

Big Ten Championship: Sunday, March 16

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How to Watch Big Ten Tournament:

The Big Ten tournament will be broadcast on various networks, including the Big Ten Network, Peacock, and CBS.

First Round: Peacock

Second Round: Big Ten Network

Quarterfinals: Big Ten Network

Semifinals: CBS

Big Ten Championship: CBS

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USC’s Big Ten Tournament Path:

The USC Trojans just made the Big Ten tournament despite the loss against the UCLA Bruins to close out the season. The USC Trojans will face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on March 12 at 5:30 p.m. PT. 

The Trojans ended the season with a 90-63 loss against the Bruins. With the way the season was finalized for other teams in the conference, USC still made it into the tournament. Still, it left the Trojans with much to fix heading into the tournament.

After the game, USC Trojans coach Eric Musselman spoke about the matchup against UCLA. Muesslman was asked what message he has for the team heading into the tournament. 

“I’m not going to say anything to them tonight about the Big Ten tournament. One, we don’t know who we play, and two, you know, tonight should be about thinking about this game,” Musselman said. “I’m a competitor, I’ll be ready. But I’m not out there.”

Mar 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Wesley Yates III (6) shoots the ball against UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans averaged 76.4 points in the regular season, led by guard Desmond Claude, who averaged 16.8 points. Claude also led the team, averaging 4.2 points.

While USC guard Wesley Yates III does not lead in scoring, he has been a top performer, averaging 13.8 points per game. Forward Saint Thomas leads the team, averaging 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals. Forward Rashaun Agee leads the team, averaging 0.7 blocks.

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights ended the regular season 15-16, 8-12 in Big Ten conference play. The last time these two teams faced was on Feb. 23, with Rutgers winning 95-85.

The Scarlet Knights average 76.6 points per game, led by guard Dylan Harper, who averages 19.2 points. Harper also leads the team, averaging 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals. Guard Ace Bailey leads Rutgers, averaging 1.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. 

If the USC Trojans defeat Rutgers, they will then face the No. 6 Purdue Boilermakers on March 13. The winner of that matchup will face the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines in the quarterfinals.

• Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. 
• If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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