Big Ten Week 9 Picks

Just two weeks left in the Big Ten race as all teams jockey for Big Ten tourney seeding and look to improve their NCAA tourney resume. I went 8-4 last week putting me at 75-26 through eight weeks.

Tuesday
Wisconsin @ Maryland: Pick: Wisconsin

Wednesday
Indiana @ Northwestern: Pick: Indiana
Illinois @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa

Thursday
Minnesota @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Nebraska @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Rutgers @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue

Saturday
Michigan @ Maryland: Pick: Maryland
Iowa @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Northwestern @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois

Sunday
Michigan St @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Purdue @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St

Standings: The key at the top this week is the Maryland Vs Wisconsin game, the first game of the week. If Wisconsin wins, they will clinch the Big Ten title with 12 whole days to go, if Maryland wins, they keep themselves alive, though Wisconsin would still have a pretty overwhelming lead. In other news, the cluster that has inhabited the 2-8 slots all season has FINALLY cleared up a little bit as the 2-4 slots have separated themselves through the 5-8 slots. Remember, the top 4 seeds get a double bye in the big ten tourney, while the 5-8 seeds get a 1st round bye.

1. Wisconsin: 13-1
2. Maryland: 10-4
3. Michigan St: 10-4
4. Purdue: 10-4
5. Indiana: 9-6
6. Ohio St: 8-6
7. Iowa: 8-6
8. Illinois: 7-7
9. Michigan: 7-8
10. Minnesota: 5-10
11. Nebraska: 5-10
12. Northwestern: 4-10
13. Penn St: 3-12
14. Rutgers: 2-13

Big Ten Week Eight Picks

The home stretch, just three weeks left in the Big Ten regular season. I went 11-2 last week, putting me at 67-22 through seven weeks

Tuesday
Michigan St @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan St

Wednesday
Wisconsin @ Penn St: Pick: Wisconsin
Northwestern @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota

Thursday
Purdue @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Nebraska @ Maryland: Pick: Maryland
Rutgers @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa

Saturday
Minnesota @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Penn St @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern

Sunday
Ohio St @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Iowa @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Indiana @ Rutgers: Pick: Indiana
Michigan St @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois

Big Ten Standings
Another 2-0 week for mighty Wisconsin who continues to run away with the Big Ten title. Is that cluster from 2-8 clearing up? Slightly a bit as there is now two games between 2nd and 8th place but thats still pretty darn close. Michigan  lurking in the 9th spot as well within striking distance of the top 8. Securing a spot in the top 8 is important to earn a first round bye in the Big Ten Tournament. The top 4 seeds earn a double bye.

1. Wisconsin: 11-1
2. Maryland: 9-4
3. Purdue: 9-4
4. Michigan St: 8-4
5. Ohio St: 8-5
6. Indiana: 8-5
7. Illinois: 7-6
8. Iowa: 6-6
9. Michigan: 6-7
10. Minnesota: 5-8
11. Nebraska: 5-8
12. Penn St: 3-10
13. Northwestern: 2-10
14. Rutgers: 2-11

Big Ten Week Seven Picks

Four weeks to go in the Big Ten season, are things clearing up in the standings? hardly. I went 9-4 in last week picking games, putting me at 56-20 through six weeks.

Tuesday
Wisconsin @ Nebraska: Pick: Wisconsin
Michigan St @ Northwestern: Pick: Michigan St

Wednesday
Penn St @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Indiana @ Maryland: Pick: Maryland

Thursday
Minnesota @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Purdue @ Rutgers: Pick: Purdue
Michigan @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois

Saturday
Ohio St @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Maryland @ Penn St: Pick: Maryland

Sunday
Illinois @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Iowa @ Northwestern: Pick: Iowa
Nebraska @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Minnesota @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana

Standings
The Badgers two game lead last week has now increased to a three game lead over everyone else. The cluster from 2-8 remains firmly in place.

1. Wisconsin: 9-1
2. Maryland: 7-4
3. Ohio St: 7-4
4. Indiana: 7-4
5. Purdue: 7-4
6. Iowa: 6-4
7. Michigan St: 6-4
8. Illinois: 6-5
9. Michigan: 6-6
10. Nebraska: 5-6
11. Minnesota: 4-7
12. Penn St: 3-8
13. Rutgers: 2-10
14. Northwestern: 1-9

Big Ten Week Six Picks

5 Weeks down, 5 to go in the regular season Big Ten race. I went 8-3 in picking Big Ten games this week, putting me at 47-16 through five weeks.

Tuesday
Indiana @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Northwestern @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Rutgers @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois

Wednesday
Ohio St @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Penn St @ Maryland: Pick:Maryland

Thursday
Iowa @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan

Saturday
Illinois @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Purdue @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Nebraska @ Penn St: Pick: Nebraska
Northwestern @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin

Sunday
Michigan @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Maryland @ Iowa: Pick: Maryland
Ohio St @ Rutgers: Pick: Ohio St

Big Ten Standings
Through five weeks its starting to look like what we expected all along, Wisconsin should easily win the Big Ten. They have opened up a full two game lead in the standings, which is practically unheard of most years for a team to open up a multi game lead over everyone else. After Wisconsin though, there is virtually no separation between 2nd place and 8th place. It will be a crazy race to see where those teams end up in the standings, as the top 4 teams get a double bye in the Big Ten tournament. Here are the standings as they stand today

1. Wisconsin; 7-1
2. Maryland: 6-3
3. Ohio St: 6-3
4. Indiana: 6-3
5. Michigan St: 6-3
6.  Purdue: 6-3
7. Michigan: 6-4
8. Iowa: 4-4
9. Illinois: 4-5
10. Nebraska: 4-5
11. Minnesota: 3-7
12. Penn St: 2-7
13. Rutgers: 2-8
14. Northwestern: 1-7