Big Ten Basketball Midweek Previews

Hey y’all, want some basketball? Of course you do. Football is over.

Tuesday, January 14

Nebraska Cornhuskers at #21 Ohio State Buckeyes
5:30pm | FS1 | OSU -17.5 | O/U 137

BRT: Well, Nebraska can’t rebound and shoots like 50% or worse from the foul line and sometimes from the field, so there’s not much reason to suspect this goes well, especially on the road. Maybe Thor has a strong night and they make it interesting, but that’s about as far as my hopes extend.

Iowa Hawkeyes at Northwestern Wildcats
7pm | BTN | Iowa -5.5 | O/U 144

MNW: Will Northwestern do the one thing—guarding Luka Garza and Joe Wieskamp—it needs to do to keep this one close? I’m intrigued to see Ryan Young and Jared Jones go inside with one of the best big men in the conference.

If this one’s a track meet, give me the Hawks. Otherwise I’ll be looking for Northwestern to pack it in, force Iowa into a lot of threes, and hope 4/33 happens again. It won’t, though.

#17 Maryland Terrapins at Wisconsin Badgers
8pm | ESPN2 | wisc -3.5 | O/U 124

Beez: Hoo boy here we go. Wisconsin has won three straight games on the road against three pretty-above-average teams, with a home lose to Illinois sandwiched in the middle because reasons. I’m 90% sure every prediction for a Wisconsin game result made by anyone in the country has been wrong for four straight games. Why bother trying to predict this game? Because $$$$$.

Micah Potter has been a revelation for Wisconsin recently. After transferring from OSU and having to sit out three semesters because reasons, Potter has taken the court in each of Wisconsin’s last six games and Wisconsin is 5-1 over that stretch. I don’t think it’s a coincidence, but Potter’s importance beyond “a guy who can give Reuvers a break and eat minutes/fouls” has been a surprise.

Does Wisconsin win tonight’s game? No effing clue. Maryland is more talented but also has perpetual in-game disaster Mark Turdgeon as head coach still. Wisconsin’s defense has been lights out since Potter came back except against wizard haven Illinois, and for the first time in living memory, Wisconsin is shooting extremely well from the FT line as a team. Without fact checking even a little, I’ll say Wisconsin’s trend of blowing up probably-better Maryland teams at home continues, and Wisconsin wins something like 80-60, because that result would be quite unexpected.

BrianB2: Maryland scores 46 points, loses by 5.

Wednesday, January 15

Indiana Hoosiers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
6pm | BTN

Rutgers correspondent Thumpasaurus: As the sole advocate for rugster hoops in this neck of the woods, I can tell y’all that this is a crucial stretch for the Pikemen. Home games against middling Indiana and Minnesota teams provide an opportunity to keep pace with the mighty Fighting Illini in the Big Ten race, but Geo Baker’s absence was keenly felt against the Illini on Saturday as The ‘Gers was outplayed on the offensive glass. That being said, containing Trayce Jackson-Davis will be the biggest challenge for Myles Johnson in what should be a less physical matchup than the one he lost to Kofi Cockburn. If the Rugerts can defend the RAC, they’ll be in great position for a tournament push when Baker returns from a thumb injury. That starts by bludgeoning Indiana, and I think Rerguts is up to the challenge.

Penn State Nittany Lions at Minnesota Golden Gophers
8pm | BTN

BRT: No one really cares about this, I guess, least of all me... so yeah. There’s a game, and it will probably happen. Penn State athletics has some other fish to fry at the present time.

WSR: Hey! I kinda care. And it’s at the Barn, so Minnesota will probably win! I don’t have a ton, but if National Player of the Week Daniel Oturu continues his hot streak we should be in pretty good shape.