Big Ten Power Rankings: Purdue tops the list, Illinois, Penn State, and Minnesota trending up

Vaughn Dalzell ranks the Big Ten Conference following a week of exciting matchups that resulted in Purdue taking ahold of the league.

1. Purdue Boilermakers (21-2, 10-2)

Upcoming games: Saturday vs Indiana (-20), Thursday vs Minnesota (-17)

*Projected lines* Odds to win the Big Ten: (-1600)

Purdue earned its two biggest wins since December with an OT home victory over Northwestern and a road win at Wisconsin to claim firm control of the Big Ten. The Boilermakers went from -400 odds to -1600 to win the Big Ten after beating Wisconsin, meaning $100 wins $6.25.

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2. Illinois Fighting Illini (17-5, 8-3)

Upcoming games: Saturday at Michigan State (+2), Tuesday vs Michigan (-15)

*Projected lines* Odds to win the Big Ten: (+1500)

Illinois survived Nebraska in OT and now are winners of three straight and five of the past six games. The Illini are projected favorites in six of the next nine games, so this could be the only week that Illinois is No. 2 in the Big Ten Power Rankings.

Illinois is a projected underdog in the next game at Michigan State and ends the season with a three-game stretch of at Wisconsin, vs Purdue, then at Iowa. That’s not a favorable stretch, but is an advantageous one.

3. Wisconsin Badgers (16-6, 8-3)

Upcoming games: Wednesday at Michigan (-7), Saturday at Rutgers (-6)

*Projected lines* Odds to win the Big Ten: (+1600)

The Badgers’ luck is running out. Wisconsin lost on the road at Nebraska in OT and to Purdue at home last week to drop below Illinois and the upcoming schedule is a trap. Wisconsin is favored in eight-straight games but will go on the road in three of the next four at Michigan, Rutgers, and Iowa — all winnable games, but…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/big-ten-power-rankings-purdue-124650058.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-02-05 12:46:50

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