Big Ten Best Bets for the 2021 season

The Big Ten season is right around the corner, set to kickoff on Aug. 28 with Illinois hosting Nebraska. Ahead of opening day, win totals, conference title and national championship odds have been released by Caesars Sportsbook, and ESPN released its best bets for the Big Ten season.

ESPN’s panel consists of Bill Connelly, David Hale, Doug Kezirian, Joe Fortenbaugh and Tyler Fulghum. Do you agree with their betting picks for the Big Ten?

Joe Fortenbaugh: Michigan Wolverines under 7.5 wins (+105)

Michigan again finds itself using a new quarterback ahead of the season, something that has become all too typical in Jim Harbaugh’s six-year tenure as the Wolverines head coach. This year, Michigan also has the complications that come along with a first-year defensive coordinator in Mike Macdonald, along with a tough Big Ten slate. Fortenbaugh thinks that three of Michigan’s five losses could come from road games at Wisconsin, Penn State, while others could come from Wahington, Northwestern and Indiana. Ohio State is also a huge date on the calendar.

David Hale: Penn State to win Big Ten (+800)

Penn State has a tough schedule this fall, as it faces road games at Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan State. Hale said this shouldn’t be too much of an issue for the Nittany Lions, a team with as much veteran experience as you’d expect in a Big Ten champion. With Ohio State being such a heavy Big Ten favorite that returns are low, Hale likes Penn State’s odds, given that any other legitimate candidates have near-impossible paths to a championship.

Tyler Fulghum: Indiana Hoosiers over 7.5 wins (-105)

Indiana’s 2020 campaign could be best described as an anomaly in the betting world, as the Hoosiers went 6-1 and 7-0 against the spread in Big Ten play. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. returns, and the Hoosiers have 16 other starters back on campus to go along with him. That’s plenty of reason for head coach Tom Allen to notch over 7.5 wins, according to Fulghum. Plus, Allen has the added motivation of losing to Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl, which could motivate his team in the Big Ten.

Doug Kezirian: Indiana Hoosiers under 7.5 wins (-115)

Kezirian goes against his colleague and picks the under on the Hoosiers’ win total, saying that it’s typically safer to fade a team that took such a substantial step forward last season — essentially betting against them having a repeat performance. Kezirian chalks up a lot of Indiana’s Big Ten success to luck, and he says the Hoosiers’ schedule, which includes a home game against Ohio State and away games at Penn State, Iowa, Michigan, Maryland and Purdue shouldn’t be overlooked. Plus, on top of a challenging Big Ten slate, the Hoosiers have a nonconference game with a top-25 Cincinnati team.

Kezirian: Iowa Hawkeyes under 8.5 wins (-130)

Kezirian says it’ll be too tough for the Hawkeyes to notch nine or more wins with its Big Ten schedule in place, including two games against Penn State and at Wisconsin, both of which should result in losses, he says. He also thinks that the away game at seventh-ranked Iowa State should swing in favor of the Cyclones, meaning the Hawkeyes would have to win out against Indiana, Purdue and Minnesota, along with away games at Maryland, Northwestern and Nebraska for the over to hit. Kezirian seems confident in this play, labeling the Big Ten under his second-favorite futures bet in all of college football.

Connelly: Northwestern Wildcats under 6.5 wins (-120)

Northwestern may have had success in the shortened 2020 campaign, but Connelly suggests looking back one more year to the 2019 season, a year in which Pat Fitzgerald’s roster simply didn’t click and the Wildcats finished 3-9. Northwestern hardly returns any talent from last year’s Big Ten runner-up, and it will have to replace Peyton Ramsey at quarterback, along with four top receivers, two top linebackers and three of its top-four defensive backs. Connelly believes seven wins will be nearly impossible to come by for the Wildcats in this year.

Connelly: Minnesota Golden Gophers: Over 7 wins (-110); to win the Big Ten (+2000)

After a spectacular 11-2 season in 2019, Minnesota regressed mightily in last season and finished just 3-4, mostly due to its defensive struggles. With returning talent in junior quarterback Tanner Morgan and junior running back Mohamed Ibrahim, Connelly sees Minnesota as a nice opportunity to buy low on a team that — if it can improve its defense — should be a solid Big Ten team.