DFS picks: Best Big Ten plays for Saturday, March 8
The college basketball season is about to make a turn with the final weekend of the regular season upon us! Next week will feature major conference tournament action leading up to Selection Sunday on March 16.
In the Big Ten, the regular-season title was officially wrapped up on Thursday night when Michigan State came from behind to take down Iowa. However, full seeding for the Big Ten Tournament is still to be decided, meaning teams have plenty to play for over the final 2 days of the season.
With intriguing matchups and high stakes come plenty of DFS action! We’ve broken down some of the top options in the B1G as we head into Saturday’s slate.
Let’s get to it:
John Tonje — Higher than 20.5 points (Via Underdog)
John Tonje has been the spark for Wisconsin all season long, tying for 4th in the Big Ten at 19.1 points per game. He has cooled off a bit down the stretch, but look for Tonje to try to find some momentum against Penn State.
In Tonje’s past 3 games, he is averaging just 14 points, including a 23% shooting performance in a touch matchup vs. Michigan State. That stretch ended a 4-game span that saw Tonje average 26.75 points per game. Across 9 games from Jan. 18 to Feb. 22, Tonje reached 20+ points in all but 1 game.
So, what’s the rationale for this pick? For starters, Penn State is the 2nd-worst team in the B1G this year. The other aspect is that Wisconsin has plenty to play for vs. the Nittany Lions.
Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Wisconsin is tied with Maryland and Purdue for 3rd place in the B1G. That means a double-bye is attainable — or the Badgers could slip out of the double-bye altogether.
With that on the line, expect Tonje and the rest of his teammates to come out sharp in a home finale.
Bruce Thornton — More than 23.5 points + rebounds + assists (Via Sleeper)
Bruce Thornton and Ohio State are playing for their NCAA Tournament lives on the bubble, and he has been a dynamic leader for the Buckeyes. He leads the team and is 8th in the B1G with 17.8 points per game and also leads OSU with 4.5 assists.
On the flip side of the equation, Ohio State’s opponent — Indiana — is equally fighting to stay on the right side of the bubble. And we have the benefit of the two sides facing each other earlier in the season.
On Jan. 17, the two sides played an overtime thriller that Indiana won, 77-76. But Thornton was impressive in that game with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, putting him over the 23.5 total number that Sleeper is offering for this matchup.
In Thornton’s past 6 games, he has just one outing that fell short of the 23.5 total number, and that came in a lopsided loss to Northwestern. I don’t see this game being a blowout in either direction, and Thornton will be called upon on a regular basis against the Hoosiers.
Tyler Bilodeau — Higher than 19.5 points + rebounds (Via Underdog)
Tyler Bilodeau is the leading scorer and 2nd-leading rebounder for UCLA at 14.1 and 4.4 per game, respectively. After a string of games falling below his season averages, Bilodeau has been back to his normal self the past 2 games.
While the Bruins lost to Purdue on the final day of February, Bilodeau led UCLA with 15 points and 7 rebounds against the talented Boilermakers. He followed that up with 19 points and 3 rebounds vs. Northwestern.
Now, all that’s left to play is the rivalry matchup vs. USC. But entering the final game, seeding for the Big Ten Tournament is still at stake for the Bruins.
Entering Friday, UCLA is the 6th seed in the B1G but trails a trio of 3rd-place teams by just one game. That means it is still possible to climb into the top 4 with a double-bye in Indianapolis with a win while a loss could put them even further down the standings pending other results.
Bilodeau did not get to play in the first matchup of these two teams, so I think he’ll be eager to come out and leave his mark in the finale.
