3 Best Bets and Player Props for the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday 3/13/25

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

Northwestern vs. Wisconsin

John Tonje 3+ Made Threes (+152)

Northwestern takes on Wisconsin in Thursday's second Big Ten matchup, and we should expect the Badgers to rain down threes on the Wildcats all afternoon.

Wisconsin isn't shy about shooting from beyond the arc, ranking 24th in three-point rate (per Bart Torvik), and Northwestern doesn't exactly suppress the three-ball on their end, either, sitting 186th in three-point rate allowed.

With that being the case, this looks like a spot to back Wisconsin guard John Tonje to have a big shooting day from long range.

Tonje is tied for the team lead in three-point attempts per game (5.8) while still maintaining a 37.8% three-point percentage. This has led to him logging 3+ three-pointers 12 of his 31 games this season, and he's even bucketed 4+ threes on 6 occasions. When Wisconsin faced Northwestern in the regular season, the senior hit 5 of 11 three-point attempts.

Tonje has attempted seven or more three-point attempts in 9 of the last 13 games, so he should let it fly yet again today.

Iowa vs. Illinois

Over 165.5 Points (-110)

This matchup has the highest total of today's four Big Ten games, but the over still looks like the side to be on.

For starters, both teams are capable of scoring in bunches as Illinois ranks 15th in adjusted offense while Iowa is 22nd. Both teams tend to push the pace, too, with the Fighting Illini sitting 17th in adjusted tempo and the Hawkeyes coming in at 56th.

Where the teams diverge is on defense, which is why Illinois is favored by double-digit points. The Illini are a solid 35th in adjusted defensive efficiency whereas Iowa ranks a mediocre 170th. We should expect the Fighting Illini's offense to hold up their end of the bargain and then some.

Still, it's not like Illinois' defense is elite, so Iowa should be able to put up points in a loss. The Hawkeyes rank 12th in effective field goal percentage, 13th in turnover rate, and 19th in three-point percentage.

These two teams combined for just 142 points in their lone meeting at Illinois this season, but Iowa uncharacteristically turned the ball over 16 times in that one and was inefficient on offense in a 20-point loss. If the Hawkeyes play up to their usual standards, we should expect a far better outing from them, particularly at a neutral site.

Bart Torvik projects this game to total 171 points, which is another positive sign for the over.

USC vs. Purdue

Over 148.5 Points (-115)

Tonight's nightcap looks like another game where scoring could exceed expectations.

When USC and Purdue met in West Lafayette earlier this season, neither team shot well from beyond the arc or at the free throw line, yet the two combined for 162 points in a blowout win for the Boilermakers. Considering these teams sailed over this line under those circumstances, that should give us confidence that they can do so again tonight.

Both of these squads rank well in adjusted offense, with Purdue at 6th and USC at 38th. Even better, both teams are outside the top 50 in adjusted defense, and both are abysmal at defending two-pointers, sitting beyond the top 300 in two-point percentage allowed.

Although neither team shoots threes at a high clip, they tend to make them count as both are within the top 40 in three-point percentage. This is an area where we should definitely see some improvement compared to the first meeting.

Bart Torvik forecasts this matchup to reach 152 points.

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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.