Christmas is less than a week away! That means conference basketball season will soon be upon us. So, first, we look at Monday NCAA Big 10 Futures featuring the Purdue Boilermakers, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, and a few other schools. The early going showed us that this conference could be quite the gauntlet. Six teams in the conference are ranked in the top 25 currently. Michigan is on the outside looking in. Let us take a quick look at some of these colleges.
- WHAT: Big 10 Conference Basketball Season
- WHEN: Most teams get underway after Christmas
- WHY: The Big 10 is one of the top power conferences in the nation
The bettors enjoy conference speculation like this typically. The Monday NCAA Big 10 Futures expect to change often. Now, betting on the NCAA Men's basketball futures is tricky, especially regarding tightly packed conferences. After all, Purdue has come out of nowhere to be tops in the nation at press time. Here is a quick table for the upper-tiered conference teams, thanks to Bovada Online Sportsbook.
Monday NCAA Big 10 Futures Look At Purdue
Monday, NCAA Big 10 Futures look at Purdue. So, what happened with Purdue last season? It still perplexes the mind that the Boilermakers got all that way. Purdue looked poised to advance to the Final Four when Saint Peter's stopped them cold in the Sweet 16. Few could have expected that to happen. Yet, it did. Expectations were thought to be lower coming into the season. Purdue was not even ranked at the start. However, it became clear something was different with the Boilermakers.
Do we dwell too much on the undefeated start for Purdue? That's a great question. The Boilermakers got quite a scare from Nebraska of all teams. That often happens in the Big 10. Conference foes bring out some immense surprises. Losses will occur unexpectedly. Now, the key is the maturation process of Zach Edey. Edey was a vast unknown going into the season. How would he respond? So far, the large 7-4 center has answered all the questions with some emphatic answers.
All Edey has done is average 22.0 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. The Junior did this against the likes of Gonzaga and Duke. Combine that with contributions from Fletcher Lover and Braden Smith, and the Boilermakers may be okay. Smith and Lover are Freshmen who play anything but first-year players. The Big 10 tests everyone but Purdue has been in the top chair before and performed well. Can they go two steps higher this year?
Purdue finished with a 14-6 record in the conference last season. What would it take to win the Big 10? 15 or 16 wins? That sounds about right. The Boilermakers, with Matt Painter in charge, have something special brewing this season. Playing against Illinois and Indiana will not be easy. However, if any team is equipped to handle a conference full of excellent teams, it may just be Purdue. They are our favorite and for a good reason. It will be interesting to see how they fair in this season's March Madness.
Illinois Gaining Steam Late?
The Monday NCAA Big 10 Futures look at Illinois, who may be gaining steam late in the season. Again, the Fighting Illini stumbled out of the conference block with losses to Maryland and Penn State. These lessons get taught savagely. The defeat to Maryland was a close game, but Penn State humbled the Illini on the 10th. Illinois gets its conference schedule underway again on January 4th at Northwestern.
Meanwhile, Illinois will enjoy a breather over the next few weeks with one test against Missouri. That may be a good thing, as the Brad Underwood coached team features nine RSCI Top 100 players. No doubt, Illinois possesses talent. The question is can they put it all together later in the season? This becomes a case of not how they start but how they finish. Again, Illinois needs at least 15 wins or is close to winning the Big 10.
With Matthew Meyer getting accustomed to his role, Illinois will only improve as the season rolls along. Meyer allows Underwood to go "Big" whenever he wants and can give Terrance Shannon a breather with his other guard depth. Again, physical guards thrive in the Big 10, especially when they have a little speed. Shannon fits both criteria well. Even Skyy Clark played a role early and looks unfazed by expectations.
Again, this group comes together as January goes into February and onward. This is partially why some pundits had Illinois as a more extended shot to get to the Final Four or even win the NCAA Championship. Will everything gel in time? That remains to be seen but may be worth a small wager.
Indiana In The Monday NCAA Big 10 Futures?
So, what about Indiana in the Monday NCAA Big 10 Futures? The rationale resides in that Indiana carries tradition and has the necessary firepower. Trayce Jackson-Davis leads the way averaging almost 17 points a game. Jackson-Davis plays the "3" and "4" but can be placed anywhere on the court. He carries that kind of versatility which helps Mike Woodson coach a balanced lineup. Seven players are rated in the RSCI Top 100, and their depth is ranked right behind Illinois.
The early mixed results in the Big 10 are just that early. There lie some concerns with losses to Rutgers and Arizona. Those teams dictated their pace better than Indiana. For the Hoosiers to take that next step, they must stamp their authority more often.
There is a belief that Indiana could become a favorite here, and at +500, there is some value in a conference regular season run.
What About Maryland?
Finally, what about Maryland? Their relentless style is intriguing, but their Monday NCAA Big 10 Futures fate rests in wearing down opponents later in the schedule. If they can do that, they have a chance.
Online Sportsbook Reviews To Examine
Examine more online sportsbook reviews where there appear to be other conference futures this week:
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