Big Ten Tournament 2025: Preview, odds, picks to win in Indianapolis

Big Ten Tournament action begins on Wednesday when Northwestern meets Minnesota in the first of 3 first-round games. In the new-look Big Ten, 5 teams earned at least a single bye while Nebraska, Penn State, and Washington all missed the field.

Michigan State, after winning the regular-season crown by 3 games, took the top seed in the conference tournament. Maryland, Michigan, and UCLA grabbed the other double-byes as top-4 teams. They won’t hit the hardwood in Indianapolis until Friday.

The Spartans will be seeking their first conference tournament title since 2019. But history isn’t on their side. Just 2 of the last 8 conference tournaments have been won by the top seed in the field, including MSU’s 2019 victory. And there hasn’t been a repeat champion since Michigan won in 2017 and 2018.

Illinois won the tournament last year, beating Wisconsin 93-87 in the title. The Badgers, a 5-seed in the field, extended a run of 4 consecutive tournaments in which a team seeded fifth or lower made the final.

Below, you’ll find a full preview of the 2025 Big Ten Tournament, along with how to bet on the action.

Big Ten Tournament odds

Michigan State +250
Maryland +400
Illinois +650
Purdue +650
Wisconsin +650
UCLA +700
Michigan +1400
Oregon +2200
Indiana +5000
Ohio State +6000
Rutgers +15000
Northwestern +25000
USC +25000
Iowa +30000
Minnesota +50000

odds via bet365

The favorite — Michigan State

As Tom Izzo topped the late Bobby Knight for career Big Ten wins this season, Michigan State marched to its first outright regular-season crown since 2018. The Spartans were picked to finish fifth in the preseason media poll. Instead, they went 26-5 overall and lost only 3 games in league play. MSU lost both legs of its West Coast swing through Los Angeles, and the Spartans lost by 4 points at home to Indiana. That was it.

Michigan State has a classic Izzo squad this season, one rooted in physical, tenacious defense. The Spartans rank fifth in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom. Throughout league play, they led all Big Ten squads in effective field goal percentage allowed, 3-point percentage allowed, offensive rebounding rate allowed, and block rate.

While the Spartans don’t exactly have a dominant, go-to scorer, they do have one of the deepest rotations in the tournament. Ten players see at least 13 minutes a game, and 9 of those 10 averaged at least 5 points per game in the regular season. Jaden Akins (12.9 points) and Jase Richardson (11.6) lead the offense.

Richardson is trending way up heading into the postseason, however. He reached double figures 9 times in his first 21 games for the Spartans. He has scored in double figures in 9 straight appearances since. He exploded for 29 points in a win over Oregon on Feb. 8, and he had 22 points in a road win at Iowa on March 4 that clinched the Big Ten title.

Bet to consider: Michigan State +250 to win the Big Ten Tournament, via bet365

The pick to actually win it — Maryland

Since an overtime loss to Northwestern on Jan. 16, Maryland has won 11 of its last 13 games. The only losses during that stretch came at Ohio State by 3 points and against Michigan State by 3 points. Ohio State hit a game-winning 3 with 7 seconds to play to beat the Terps. Michigan State got a half-court heave to fall at the buzzer. Over the last 13, the Terps have a 12.7 net rating while holding their opponents to a 46.9% effective field goal rate.

Maryland gets it done on both ends of the floor. In a win at Michigan on March 5, Maryland had 12 steals and 21 points off turnovers while its dynamic wing duo of Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel combined for 36 points and 7 made 3s.

Rice and Miguel are combining this season to average just under 26 points per game. Both are entering the conference tournament on an upswing. Miguel has 45 points in his last 3 games. Rice scored 22 against USC and then 20 against MSU in late February. Derik Queen (15.7 points) and Ja’Kobi Gillespie (14.9) lead the team in scoring, but the 2 wings are critical to a successful postseason.

Maryland leans heavily on its 5 starters. Kevin Willard’s group ranks 316th nationally in bench minutes consumed. But they might have the highest ceiling.

Bet to consider: Maryland +400 to win the Big Ten Tournament, via BetMGM

The 5-9 team that can make the title game — Purdue

You can make an argument for just about every team in this range to make the title game or even win the tournament. There is no Auburn or Duke-level team in this Big Ten, and that opens the door to a world of possibilities. Wisconsin, Purdue, and Illinois are top 20 in KenPom. Oregon is 31st. At the current price, I’m backing Purdue.

The Boilermakers enter the conference tournament having lost 5 of their last 7 but that doesn’t necessarily turn me away. They have a top-10 offense thanks to one of the very best players in America. Braden Smith is the most indispensable player in all of college basketball, according to EvanMiya. Smith averages 16.3 points and 8.8 assists a game this season while shooting 39.7% from 3. He forms a powerful partnership with forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, who is averaging 19.7 points per game this season. And Fletcher Loyer is shooting nearly 48% on roughly 5 3s a game.

Purdue played a monster of an out-of-conference schedule and has shown throughout the year it can beat anyone. The Boilermakers have wins over Alabama, Ole Miss, Maryland, Michigan, and UCLA.

Bet to consider: Purdue +650 to win the Big Ten Tournament, via BetMGM

The 10-15 team that can make the title game — Ohio State

The Buckeyes notched wins over Texas and Kentucky in nonconference play. They also beat Purdue and Maryland during Big Ten play, lost by 2 at Wisconsin, and lost by 1 to Michigan. Jake Diebler’s group completely snuffs out opponents’ 3s and doesn’t turn the basketball over. And it has a guard in Bruce Thornton who can carry it on a run. In last year’s conference tourney, Thornton had a 14-point, 9-assist game in the opener and followed that up with a 20-point, 10-assist game against the eventual champs. Thornton has upped both his scoring and his efficiency this season. His 17.5 points per game are top 10 in the league, and he enters the postseason having cracked 20 points in 3 of his last 4 games. He had 29 against Nebraska and 41 combined points in 2 games against the LA schools. Thornton also scored 31 last month in the win over Maryland and he had 30 against Kentucky back in December. If he catches fire early, Ohio State can be dangerous.