Big 10 Power Poll

1: Northwestern Wildcats (4-0-1 ATS, 6-1 SU) There aren’t many teams that have yet to hand at least one loss to sports betting fans, but the Wildcats are still on the short list. They’ve had nine days off to prepare for two games this week, the second of which is the team’s first lengthy road trip of the season.

This Week: Home vs. UMKC, Away @ Stanford

2: Michigan Wolverines (5-1-1 ATS, 7-2 SU) With an average season in the Big 10, it’s going to be hard to deny Big Blue its entry to the Big Dance this year. They padded a resume that already includes wins over Duke and UCLA with a 91-60 thumping of Eastern Michigan last week. The schedule is a snap for the rest of the month until the New Year’s Eve showdown with the Badgers.

This Week: Home vs. Oakland, Home vs. Florida Gulf Coast

3: Iowa Hawkeyes (5-1 ATS, 9-2 SU) Iowa notched its fourth straight cover last week by cruising past Iowa State 73-57. If you like defense, this Saturday’s game against Drake should be just for you, as the Hawkeyes will hope to avenge last year’s 56-51 loss to the Bulldogs and pad their NCAA resume with a huge road win against an MVC squad that is in the hunt for a tourney bid almost every season.

This Week: Away @ Drake

4: Penn State Nittany Lions (4-2 ATS, 9-2 SU) The Nittany Lions picked up a pair of relatively easy victories over Mount St. Mary’s and Army last week, and the task at hand shouldn’t get much more difficult this week with a home date against lowly Lafayette.

This Week: Home vs. Lafayette

5: Illinois Fighting Illini (4-2 ATS, 9-1 SU) Illinois may have an impressive record and some gaudy numbers on the defensive side of the ball, but basketball bettors really haven’t seen them take on much in the way of competition this year. An 89-50 victory against Chicago State last week was expected, but a game against Detroit this week won’t do anything for their tourney resume even if the Illini win by 100.

This Week: Home vs. Detroit

6: Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-2-1 ATS, 9-0 SU) If HC Tubby Smith had plans of taking his undefeated Gophers into March Madness this season, Saturday’s test against Louisville would be a great feather in his cap. Unfortunately, Minnesota hasn’t had any real tests of note this season, and a victory over the #10 team in the country would be considered a bit of a surprise.

This Week: Home vs. Louisville

7: Wisconsin Badgers (5-4 ATS, 8-2 SU) Wisconsin-Green Bay may not be the victory that puts the Badgers over the top this year, but their 20-point victory was good enough to notch their fourth cover in five games. With a stingy defense that ranks 40th in the nation, this team is one for sports bettors to watch in the weeks to come. The schedule is going to get much harder in a hurry after a final tune-up against Coppin State.

This Week: Home vs. Coppin State

8: Ohio State Buckeyes (3-2 ATS, 6-0 SU) Most Ohio State games haven’t been pretty this season, and last week’s 54-51 win over Butler was no exception. The Buckeyes failed to cover the seven-point spread, but the team still ranks #2 in the land, allowing just 50.3 points per game. Those numbers should improve this week against two sub-par opponents.

This Week: Home vs. Jackson State, Home vs. Iona

And the rest…

9: Michigan State Spartans (3-3 ATS, 6-2 SU)