It’s almost March, which makes this a great time to check in on some key against-the-spread records in the Big Ten so far in 2023-24.

Surprisingly, Minnesota tops all 3 of the charts below as the Golden Gophers have been amongst the best teams to bet on in the entire country so far this season. Several other Big Ten teams also stand out for their ability to cover the spread — either as a favorite or an underdog.

Here’s a breakdown of the most profitable teams to bet on in the Big Ten so far this season:

Most profitable Big Ten basketball teams to bet on (All games)

Team ATS Wins ATS Losses Net Units
Minnesota 24 4 17.82
Nebraska 18 10 6.36
Northwestern 15 11 2.64
Purdue 15 11 2.64
Illinois 14 11 1.73
Michigan St. 15 12 1.64
Penn State 14 14 -1.27
Indiana 12 15 -4.09
Rutgers 12 15 -4.09
Wisconsin 11 16 -6.00
Ohio State 11 16 -6.00
Maryland 12 17 -6.09
Iowa 11 17 -7.00
Michigan 8 20 -12.73

Top takeaway: Minnesota is lapping the field

Minnesota backers are up more than 17 units so far this season. The Golden Gophers have a cover rate of more than 85%, which is easily the best of any program in the entire country this season. No other D1 team is north of 75% in that category.

So how is Minnesota doing this? As you’ll see later on, Minnesota is 12-3 against the spread this season as an underdog. That includes 5 outright wins as a dog this season, which is second amongst Big Ten teams. However, the bigger reason why Minnesota has been so proficient against the number is its performance as a significant underdog. The Golden Gophers are 5-0 against the spread when they’re underdogs of at least 7.5 points this year. Unfortunately for their NCAA Tournament hopes, they lost all 5 of those games despite beating the number.

Most profitable Big Ten basketball teams to bet on (As a favorite)

Team ATS Wins ATS Losses Net Units
Minnesota 12 1 9.91
Nebraska 12 4 6.91
Michigan St. 14 9 3.73
Purdue 14 11 1.73
Northwestern 8 7 0.27
Illinois 11 10 0.00
Indiana 6 8 -2.55
Rutgers 6 8 -2.55
Iowa 7 9 -2.64
Penn State 4 7 -3.36
Maryland 6 9 -3.55
Wisconsin 7 11 -4.64
Ohio State 6 11 -5.55
Michigan 4 10 -6.36

Top takeaway: Nebraska is performing well as a favorite

Nebraska is on pace to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014 this season, and its play as a favorite has been a big reason why. The Huskers have largely taken care of business in games they’re expected to win this season and are up nearly 7 units as a favorite on the year. Nebraska hasn’t failed to cover the spread as a favorite since before Christmas. Remarkably, Nebraska has beaten the number by 10+ points in 7 different outings as a favorite this season.

Most profitable Big Ten basketball teams to bet on (As an underdog)

Team ATS Wins ATS Losses Net Units
Minnesota 12 3 7.91
Penn State 10 6 3.09
Northwestern 7 4 2.36
Illinois 3 1 1.73
Purdue 1 0 0.91
Wisconsin 4 4 -0.36
Ohio State 5 5 -0.45
Nebraska 5 6 -1.45
Indiana 6 7 -1.55
Rutgers 6 7 -1.55
Michigan St. 1 3 -2.09
Maryland 6 8 -2.55
Iowa 4 8 -4.36
Michigan 4 10 -6.36

Top takeaway: Count on Penn State as an underdog

It hasn’t been a great first season for Mike Rhoades at Penn State. The Nittany Lions are 14-15 this season and are ranked outside the top-90 in KenPom as of Thursday evening. But the Nittany Lions are consistently beating market expectations as an underdog this season, which could bode well for the future as Rhoades’ staff is able to add more talent in future years.

With a trip to the postseason unlikely, bettors may not be able to take advantage of this trend for much longer. But Penn State is expected to be an underdog in its 2 remaining regular season games and could be a dog in its first-round Big Ten Tournament game as well. The Nittany Lions also lead the Big Ten in outright wins as an underdog (7) so far this season. All 7 of those victories came against Big Ten foes.

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