Big Ten hoops: Purdue's biggest competition on the court, at sportsbooks

Take one look at the conference standings and you'll notice that Purdue is wrapped up in a race for the top with Wisconsin and Indiana. While DK doesn't appear too high on the unranked Hoosiers to make a big push down the stretch at 90-1 odds, they are keeping pace with the Boilermakers in conference play. These teams play each other at Mackey Arena on Feb. 10 and Indiana hasn't played well on the road, so that game could be very indicative of how they will be favored against Purdue heading into the end of the season.

Wisconsin is a whole other story. The No. 11-ranked Badgers have taken over control of the Big Ten thanks to a six-game winning streak, and their odds at DK of winning the conference have shortened to +275. They have been perfect in conference play, defeating Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio State and Northwestern since the calendar changed to 2024. The Badgers host the Boilermakers on Feb. 4, which already looks to be a huge game to determine who the real leader of the Big Ten is.

Defeating the Boilermakers could also shorten the Badgers' odds ahead of the NCAA tournament, as they are currently listed as +4000 long shots. Of course, favorites get upset all the time come tournament time, as Purdue knows all too well. It was just last season that Purdue was a favorite ahead of March Madness only to be upset in the first round by the unranked Fairleigh Dickinson Knights. 

Keep a close eye on these Big Ten competitors in the second half of the NCAA basketball season. Some big games on the horizon that could really shake things up both in the standings and at sportsbooks.