Big Ten college football action continues Saturday with the Wisconsin Badgers visiting the Maryland Terrapins, the Purdue Boilermakers hosting the Iowa Hawkeyes, and the Penn State Nittany Lions traveling to face the Indiana Hoosiers. Here are the Big Ten odds, predictions and picks for Wisconsin-Maryland, Iowa-Purdue and Penn State-Indiana.
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Best Big Ten Bets, Predictions and Odds
Tagovailoa Back For Maryland vs. Wisconsin
Wisconsin (4-4) has yet to win back to back games this season but is expected to do so as a 5-point favorite at home against Maryland (6-2).
It is easy to build a case to back Maryland’s offense, which is scoring 34.1 points per game and ranks behind only Ohio State and Michigan in the Big Ten. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa has passed for 2,001 yards and 13 touchdowns through seven games. He sat out a 31-24 win against Northwestern two weeks ago but is expected to return from a knee injury Saturday.
The key to covering this number will be on the other side, especially with Maryland’s ability to stop the run. The Terrapins defense ranks 61st in rushing EPA but will be challenged against a Badgers squad that features running back Braelon Allen. In a game that could come down to the very end, take the points with the better quarterback.
Best Big Ten Bet: Maryland +5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Iowa Defense Can Handle Purdue
The Hawkeyes had an offensive outburst last time out, at least by their standards, rolling to a 33-13 win over Northwestern, scoring double digits in three of the four quarters. Iowa has three games when it didn’t even reach double digits.
Iowa (4-4) presents a good opportunity to back a hot squad in a pivotal conference clash. Purdue (5-3) is a 3.5-point favorite, so getting north of the key number is critical when placing a spread bet.
A bet on the Hawkeyes is a bet on their defense, which ranks fifth in the nation allowing an average of 15.8 points per game. Iowa’s defensive grade of 94.3 is second in the country per Pro Football Focus, meaning it should make life difficult for Purdue QB Aidan O’Connell.
Best Big Ten Bet: Iowa +4 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Penn State Should Rebound at Indiana
The Nittany Lions have to rebound from last week’s loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, and clobbering the Hoosiers as a 13.5-point favorite seems like a good way to do that.
There is always a chance Penn State can’t get over faltering in the fourth quarter during the 44-31 loss to Ohio State last weekend. But this team knows what is at stake and will bounce back in a big way.
Penn State (6-2) has lost to Michigan and Ohio State, but has done a good job putting away inferior teams. The Nittany Lions are 5-3 against the spread (ATS), a clip that should climb when they roll past Indiana (3-5), which hasn’t won since September.
Best Big Ten Bet: Penn State -13.5 (-110) at FanDuel Sportsbook
