Pick: Purdue -3.5
Purdue is an interesting sleeper to win the Big Ten tournament, and drawing a struggling Nebraska team here is a great draw.
In 2023, Purdue won the Big Ten Tournament with three wins in three days … and then lost to Fairleigh Dickinson as a #1 seed, only the 2nd time that’s happened in NCAA Tournament history. (The starting backcourt for that Purdue team? Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, who are the starters this year, too.)
In 2024 and 2025, Purdue lost in the second round in the Big Ten tourney - but in March went all the way to the title game (Lost to UConn) and then lost a heartbreaker in the Sweet 16 (to Houston, which lost in the title game).
What matters more, three games in three days in Chicago, or a possible run to the Final 4? The answer feels obvious - except that Purdue has three seniors (the backcourt and Trey Kaufman-Renn) and if they have any hope of a March run, they’ll need to shake the stench of losing three of four to end the regular season. Including the last home game for the trio of seniors. We’re getting a max effort from Purdue all weekend.
Nebraska started 20-0 but has gone 6-5 since, though two losses came against Michigan and Illinois. This just isn’t a great matchup as the Boilermakers were up double digits nearly the entire game against Nebraska (as much as 22!) on the road before a late collapse. Nebraska was favored and lost in overtime.