Here Are Two Great Regular-Season Conference Title Values
Get the value on these Big Ten, Big East sleepers while you can
Matthew Horner - Jan 25, 2022, 3:14pm EST
Indiana Hoosiers, +5000 to win Big Ten at FanDuel
Indiana is a team that many people had as a sleeper candidate out of the Big 10 conference at the start of the year. While they haven't been as great as some thought they could be, they still are in a solid position to raise a few eyebrows down the stretch. Former NBA head coach and Indiana alumni Mike Woodson has done a superb job in his first season as head coach of the Hoosiers, and it looks like there's a good chance they'll be going dancing for the first time since 2016. They have compiled a 14-5 record overall, including a 5-4 record in the Big 10, knocking off ranked teams such as No. 4 Purdue and No. 13 Ohio State along the way. They've also had some bad losses, too, most notably to Penn State, but overall they have been impressive when you consider they are coming off of a 12-15 (7-12 Big Ten) season.
At FanDuel, Indiana is currently sitting at +5000 to win the Big 10 regular-season title. This seems like a crazy number to me, considering that they are +2000 on DraftKings. They have Wooden Award candidate Trayce Jackson-Davis leading the way, averaging 18.6 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game. He's as talented as any player in the country, and when he gets hot, it's bad news for the opposing team. Guard Xavier Johnson has been great for the Hoosiers as well, facilitating their offense and averaging 4.2 assists per game.
If they can keep playing to their strengths, Indiana has a chance to pull off a great run to close the season. At +5000, that's some serious value on a team this good.
Marquette Golden Eagles, +3500 to win Big East at FanDuel
The coaching job that Shaka Smart has done at Marquette is nothing short of remarkable. The Golden Eagles finished one game below .500 last season and lost several of their best players from last year. No one expected them to make any noise in Smart's first season with the team.
Well, the Golden Eagles have been one of the biggest surprises in the country. They've played themselves into the top 25 with six straight wins, including an extremely impressive performance over No. 11 Villanova on the road. They went on a 21-9 run to end the game, winning by three points and solidifying themselves as a real contender in the Big East. Marquette held Villanova to 6-for-24 shooting from behind the arc and made 13 3s of their own.
The Golden Eagles didn't stop there, as they then went on to beat No. 20 Xavier by 11 points Sunday. So far in January, Marquette has beaten four ranked teams: No. 16 Providence, No. 20 Seton Hall, No. 11 Villanova and No. 20 Xavier. That is as impressive of a record as anyone could put together in the country in a single month, but it might not stop here. They have rematches with Seton Hall and No. 17 Providence coming up.
The Golden Eagles have shown you just how good they are, and +3500 is some serious value on a team that is this well-coached, disciplined and talented.
SEE THE LATEST ODDS TO WIN THE BIG EAST REGULAR-SEASON TITLE
