2018-2019 B1G Basketball Thread

[SFBadger96]

Nebraska is favored tonight, last I checked. The Badgers are always much better at home than away...

[FearlessF]

Wisconsin vs Nebraska Betting Info
All betting odds, lines and props available on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Moneyline: WISC: (+135) | NEB: (-160)

Spread: WISC: +3 (-110) | NEB: -3 (-110)

Total: 129 – Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

Public (Spread) Betting Percentages: WISC: (51%) | NEB: (49%)

[SFBadger96]

So Nebraska as a slight favorite is doing a pretty good job of evening out the betting, but right now a Wisconsin win is bad for the odds makers?

I still don't entirely understand how that whole thing works...nor do I particularly care to.

[FearlessF]

some smart guy here will fill you in

I just know the books like the 49% to 51% so they don't get hit too hard on one side or the other

[ELA]

Massey composite rankings (62 rankings), with last week in parenthesis...

• Duke (2)
• Virginia (1)
• MICHIGAN STATE (4)
• Tennessee (3)
• Gonzaga (5)
• MICHIGAN (6)
• North Carolina (8)
• Kansas (7)
• Kentucky (11)
• PURDUE (14)
• Nevada (12)
• Virginia Tech (9)
• Houston (16)
• Louisville (15)
• Iowa State (19)
• Villanova (25)
• LSU (20)
• Texas Tech (13)
• Oklahoma (-)
• WISCONSIN (-)
• Marquette (22)
• MARYLAND (10)
• TCU (-)
• Buffalo (17)
• Cincinnati (-)

• 29. Iowa (23)
• 30. Nebraska (21)
• 32. Ohio State (37)
• 42. Indiana (36)
• 46. Minnesota (56)
• 59. Northwestern (65)
• 98. Penn State (85)
• 103. Rutgers (132)
• 113. Illinois (125)

[RestingB!tchFace]

Weird time in the conference.

3-4 good teams are in a bad way, depending on if you think OSU’s win at Neb snapped them out of it. But between OSU’s 1-5 run, Neb losing three in a row and one of its best players, IU with six losses in a row and that MD-Ill result, that group seems to be underperforming.

The question is how long these struggles last. Are the temporary? Longer term? Maybe I’m just thinking about my team and the road ahead. Are they still good teams, as Purdue was at 9-6? Or is something more wrong?

I still can’t get a read on Iowa or Minnesota. The Hawkeyes have a good record, but the numbers aren’t hyper bullish. Minnesota has some pretty nice wins, two not great losses and are projected to not finish well in conference. But I can’t truly buy the idea they’ll be a solid underdog at home vs UW

Solid underdog doesn't make a whole lot of sense....but underdog does.  The Badgers were ice cold in the first meeting.  Partly because of bullish defense by the Gophers.....but mostly it was a bad shooting night.  Getting the ball to Happ in the 2nd half made the difference.....just a little too late.  Gophers will be in trouble next Wednesday if Oturu cannot play.  Even so....Happ is difficult to stop and I bet the Badgers will be going to him early and often.

[RestingB!tchFace]

@medinabuckeye1 

How exactly is Minnesota sitting in your tier 5 when they have beaten each team in tier 4 (3-0)?  It seems illogical.

[ELA]

@medinabuckeye1

How exactly is Minnesota sitting in your tier 5 when they have beaten each team in tier 4 (3-0)?  It seems illogical.

You are expected to beat teams within 1 tier of you at home, so the Iowa and Nebraska results are as expected.  Only the Wisconsin one is an upset, and that remains an upset no matter what you do, unless you think Minnesota is two tiers above Bucky?

[RestingB!tchFace]

You are expected to beat teams within 1 tier of you at home, so the Iowa and Nebraska results are as expected.  Only the Wisconsin one is an upset, and that remains an upset no matter what you do, unless you think Minnesota is two tiers above Bucky?

So beating the teams ahead of them at home places them below them.  Beating teams ahead of them away puts them???  I'm just confused as to why three teams above have lost to a team (Minnesota) that is below?  Doesn't make any sense.  Especially Nebraska.  3-6 in the conference.  Good win against Clemson in the non-con I suppose.  Am I missing something here?

[mcwterps1]

You believe a coach not only speaks to the committee but has real influence over its bracket?

Come on man. I jest.... 
Or do I? 
http://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/4524265-coach-k-not-scheduling-maryland-mike-krzyzewski-duke-blue-devils-terrapins

[ELA]

So beating the teams ahead of them at home places them below them.  Beating teams ahead of them away puts them???  I'm just confused as to why three teams above have lost to a team (Minnesota) that is below?  Doesn't make any sense.  Especially Nebraska.  3-6 in the conference.  Good win against Clemson in the non-con I suppose.  Am I missing something here?

Well, no, but the tiers were established, absent something to change them.  Minnesota hasn't done enough to prove they belong higher.  That one win over Wisconsin, yes.  But the loss at Illinois actually suggests the Gophers are two high, so those two balance out.

[ELA]

So has the top separated itself that much, or is the middle not nearly as good as we thought?  Only 5 teams running at a positive efficiency in conference play

[Anonymous Coward]

Come on man. I jest....
Or do I?
http://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/4524265-coach-k-not-scheduling-maryland-mike-krzyzewski-duke-blue-devils-terrapins

I'm not surprised if he won't let his AD schedule them for the regular season; that's not so strange. I did take seriously what was a joke. Had wondered if this were next in the process of incrementally embracing a thousand conspiracies so that one would inevitably be right. 😉

[betarhoalphadelta]

So beating the teams ahead of them at home places them below them.  Beating teams ahead of them away puts them???  I'm just confused as to why three teams above have lost to a team (Minnesota) that is below?  Doesn't make any sense.  Especially Nebraska.  3-6 in the conference.  Good win against Clemson in the non-con I suppose.  Am I missing something here?

Again, the idea is that home court advantage in the BIG is a sizable advantage. I.e. that you'll beat a team better than you at home, and lose to a team worse than you on the road, as long as the gap isn't that large.
That's why the tier system is based on beating teams a tier ahead of you at home and losing to a tier below you on the road, but if it's a 2-tier gap, then the higher tier wins at either venue. 
This is why the Purdue home win over Michigan State wasn't an upset. Nor does it mean that Purdue is equal to MSU or should be in the same tier as them. It's because home court advantage is extremely valuable.