3 Best Bets and Player Props for the Big Ten Tournament on Friday 3/14/25

The college basketball season is rolling along, giving us plentiful betting options with so many teams in action each day.

Fortunately, we have abundant tools available that can aid our chances of finding good betting value. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and select some of the best bets of the day by utilizing the mentioned tools.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Today's Best College Basketball Betting Picks

Wisconsin vs. UCLA

John Tonje Over 17.5 Points (-120)

Wisconsin's John Tonje scored 24 points against UCLA in the regular season, and we should feel confident he can reach 18-plus points against them on Friday.

While the Bruins rank 15th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per Bart Torvik, they allow one of the highest three-point rates in the country, ranking 331st in that category.

This falls right in Tonje's wheelhouse, as the senior leads his team in three-point makes (2.2) and attempts (5.8) per game while shooting a solid 37.8% from beyond the arc.

Additionally, UCLA is 231st in free throw rate allowed, and Tonje averages 6.4 free throw attempts per game while shooting an elite 91.7%.

In all, he averages 18.9 points per game, so he doesn't even need to reach his season average to cash this bet.

In 28 games where Tonje has played at least 27 minutes, he's scored 18+ points 16 times (57.1%), and we should like his chances of adding another to his tally.

Illinois vs. Maryland

Over 158.5 Points (-110)

On Thursday, Illinois' victory over Iowa finished with a combined 200 points (!!), and it's not like the game went to overtime, either. The Fighting Illini scored 106 points, and while we shouldn't expect a repeat of that tonight, it shows what this offense is capable of on a given night.

With that in mind, even against a Maryland team that's eighth in adjusted defense, we should like the chances of this game going over 158.5 points.

Illinois is 13th in adjusted offensive efficiency, and they love to push the pace, ranking 17th in adjusted tempo. Meanwhile, Maryland isn't exactly a slouch in adjusted offense (34th) or adjusted tempo (51st), further pointing to a solid scoring output.

When the Fighting Illini and Terrapins faced off in the regular season, Maryland wrecked Illinois on the road by 21 points -- but the game hit 161 combined points. Illinois shot a poor 37.7% from the field, yet the game still went over this line, too.

Bart Torvik projects this matchup to reach 161 points again, and if the Fighting Illini play anything like they did last night, this shouldn't be a hard mark to reach.

Purdue vs. Michigan

Purdue -2.5 (-115)

Friday's final Big Ten matchup pits Purdue against Michigan, and despite the two teams being ranked closely together in the AP Top 25, the Boilermakers rate as the better team by advanced metrics. Both Bart Torvik and KenPom rank Purdue 16th overall, whereas Michigan is roughly a top-30 squad.

Purdue's biggest strength is an offense that's eighth in adjusted offensive efficiency. This includes being elite in both effective field goal percentage (eighth) and three-point percentage (ninth). Shooting well from beyond the arc will play nicely for the Boilermakers versus a Wolverines team that's just 167th in three-point rate allowed.

These two teams met twice in the regular season. Purdue blew the doors off Michigan at home in a 27-point blowout at home and then lost a 2-point nail-biter in Ann Arbor. At a neutral site, we should feel good about Purdue covering this one-score spread.

Bart Torvik predicts a four-point win for the Boilermakers in this Big Ten Tournament nightcap.

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Which bets stand out to you across the nation tonight? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.