posted January 22, 2008 at 18:31 in NCAA B Props

Why is this conference called the Big 10 when 11 teams claim membership? Who cares!!! The more important question to be asking yourself is whose bringing home the bacon and whose stinking the joint up? Jump inside this week’s breakdown to find out!!!

In alphabetical order:

1) Illinois Fighting Illini (WARM) (9-10 SU/7-11-1 ATS) This club is nowhere near as good as it was just a couple years ago when they lost to UNC in the National Championship Game. Since B10 play started, Illinois has gone 1-5 SU with losses to Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Purdue. Their lone win came at home against a dreadful Michigan team that’s having a nightmare of a season. That being said, the Illini have covered the spread in 3 of their L/4 overall which leads me to believe they’ll be a major thorn in the side of some of the Big 10’s elite in the second half of their conference schedule.

2) Indiana Hoosiers (NEUTRAL) (16-1 SU/7-6-1 ATS) The Hoosiers currently sit perched atop the B10 standings alongside Wisconsin for the best mark in the conference. Freshman phenom Eric Gordon has been a key cog in Head Coach Kelvin Sampson’s attack this season, and the Hoosiers have to be seriously considered as a potential National Championship contender. That being said, they haven’t been good to their backer’s pocket books this season. They only stand 1-game above .500 ATS to bring home a paltry gain of .40 cents on the year. They’ve managed to go 2-2-1 ATS in B10 play, and most recently managed a push at home against a Claxton-less Penn State club their last time out.

3) Iowa Hawkeyes (HOT) (9-10 SU/6-10 ATS) The Hawkeyes took some time to get used to the new coaching staff and struggled through it’s non-conference slate, but B10 play has seen this outfit take their game to a new level and it’s shown at least ATS. They’ve gone a stellar 4-2 ATS in their first 6 B10 match-ups, and won outright as underdogs against both Michigan and Michigan State. They covered as large underdogs against both Indiana and Wisconsin as well. Keep an eye on their upcoming spreads though as Vegas might start giving them more credit than necessary and strip any and all value away from their numbers.

4) Michigan Wolverines (COLD) (5-13 SU/3-13 ATS) For those that thought bringing over Jimmy Beilein from West Virginia would jumpstart the Wolverines stagnant program, think again. It’s as if Amaker never left considering the Wolves play hasn’t improved. In fact, it’s gotten worse. Their non-conference effort was atrocious, and they now stand at 1-5 SU and 2-4 ATS in B10 play. Their lone win and cover in conference play came against northwestern on the road where they won SU as 3.5-point road dogs. That being said, look for the Wolverines to improve as the season goes on and cover a number of games where they’re receiving a boatload of points.

5) Michigan State Spartans (COLD) (16-2 SU/6-6-2 ATS) The Spartans haven’t made many people happy this season save for the booster club and die-hards who don’t care about whether they cover the spread as long as they win SU. If that’s the case, you’re ecstatic with the Spartans 16-2 mark thus far, but you’re in the poor house if you’ve backed them throughout B10 play. Through 5 conference games, the Spartans are 4-1 SU and 1-4 ATS. The only spread covered come at Minnesota when they were asked to lay a point and they won by a 78-73 final count. It looks as if this club has been “overvalued” throughout the first couple weeks of B10 play, so look for them to cover some spreads over the next couple weeks when they catch some more reasonable numbers.

6) Minnesota Golden Gophers (WARM) (12-5 SU/7-5 ATS) The Golden Gophers have gotten off to a solid start under first year Head Coach Tubby Smith. They’ve only managed a pair of wins throughout their first five B10 games, but all three of their losses were of the close variety. They lost by 5 to both MSU and Indiana at home, and lost by 6 to MSU in East Lansing. They’ve shown the ability to hang against the conference’s elite, and should do so for the remainder of the season.

7) Northwestern Wildcats (COLD) (6-9 SU/5-6 ATS) 0-5 and counting in Big 10 play, and it doesn’t look to get any better for the “Mild”cats throughout the rest of the season. They’ve managed one B10 cover at Ohio State when they lost 62-51 but covered as 15-point road dogs. I think it’s about time Mr. Carmody took his show someplace else, because it just isn’t amounting to much in Evanston.

8) Ohio State Buckeyes (HOT) (12-6 SU/8-6 ATS) The Buckeyes lost plenty form last year’s runner-up squad, but head Coach Thad Matta has done an excellent job with some of the carryovers from 2006-07 and the new guys. The Buckeyes have won 3 of their first 5 B10 match-ups both SU and ATS. Most recently, they went into Knoxville and gave the 5th ranked Tennessee Vols all they could handle in the 74-69 defeat. The win ATS was the Buckeyes 2nd in a row and 6th in their L/8 overall games.

9) Penn State Nittany Lions (COLD) (10-7 SU/6-6-2 ATS) The Nittany Lions got off to a solid 2-0 start in B10 play, but then they lost a tough one at home to Minnesota and then the program was forced to swallow a bitter pill when their best player, Geary Claxton, suffered a ligament tear and was pronounced out for the season. Since then, the Lions have lost to both Indiana & Wisconsin by a combined final score of 161-120. Needless to say, they didn’t cover either of these two games and it might take a while for PSU to get over the Claxton loss.

10) Purdue Boilermakers (HOT) (13-5 SU/7-8 ATS) The Boilermakers have picked up victories in 4 of their first 5 Big 10 confrontations, and they’ve made their backers very happy in the process by covering all but one of those games. The lone pointspread loss occurred at home when they failed to cover the 121-point spread in their 65-58 victory over the Michigan Wolverines. Head coach Lance Painter has done an excellent job in taking over the program, and plenty more ATS wins look to be on the horizon.

11) Wisconsin Badgers (NEUTRAL) (15-2 SU/7-7 ATS) The Badgers non-conference slate toughened them up for conference play, and all Head Coach Bo Ryan’s kids have to show for it is a perfect 5-0 B10 mark. However, they’ve only managed to cover 2 of those 5 contests and both of them came on the road. They have been asked to eat a ton of chalk in the Kohl Center this year, so we might just be forced to back them ATS on the road and fade them at home.

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