Big Ten Tournament 2015: Latest Championship Odds and Predictions on Day 3

After plenty of waiting, the top men's college basketball teams in the Big Ten will finally get into the action in Friday's quarterfinals.

With the Big Ten tournament starting later than the tournaments of many other leagues and the top four teams earning a double-bye to the quarterfinals, these squads will finally start their postseasons after most other college basketball teams have already ended their seasons.

This will likely just make them hungry to get started in the upcoming round.

Still, the first few rounds in Chicago have seen plenty of surprises, and Day 3 can be more of the same. Here are some predictions with championship odds for the eight teams remaining.

Team	Odds
Wisconsin	10-11
Ohio State	9-2
Maryland	7-1
Michigan State	7-1
Purdue	14-1
Indiana	20-1
Michigan	66-1
Penn State	200-1

No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 9 Michigan

Mike McGinnis/Getty Images

Whether Wisconsin earns a No. 1 seed or not, this is clearly one of the top teams in the nation. Frank Kaminsky is the favorite to take home the National Player of the Year award, while his supporting cast of Sam Dekker, Nigel Hayes and others makes up one of the most difficult offenses to stop in the country.

ESPN's Jay Williams believes this is one of the few teams capable of winning a national championship:

This is bad news for Michigan, which is actually coming off one of its better performances of the season against Illinois. Aubrey Dawkins has been red hot, and the Wolverines are now spreading the floor to create a dynamic offense.

Still, there is no one on the roster capable of slowing down Kaminsky, and the rest of the frontcourt should have a field day. Yes, Michigan took Wisconsin to overtime earlier in the year, but both teams are very different at this point and the Badgers are coming off more rest.

This should lead to a relatively easy victory for the top seed.

Prediction: Wisconsin 68, Michigan 54

No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 Penn State

USA TODAY Sports

D.J. Newbill has been one of the best scorers in the country this season, but Penn State has struggled to give him any help. This has not been the case in the team's two wins in the Big Ten tournament.

Shep Garner contributed 19 points against Nebraska, while Ross Travis stepped up with 17 in the upset win over Iowa. At the same time, the defense has been fantastic while holding its two opponents to a combined 28.3 percent shooting from the field.

Purdue is a team that knows how to move the ball to get good looks inside, but it isn't a team that shoots well. If the Nittany Lions can keep up this defense, they can really make this game interesting.

It's obviously difficult to win three games in three days, but with the way the team is playing, Penn State might not want to stop. Even with the impact A.J. Hammons can make in the post, Newbill will find a way to score and keep the miracle run in Chicago alive.

Prediction: Penn State 58, Purdue 57

No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 7 Indiana

USA TODAY Sports

Plenty of people will be doubting Maryland this postseason as a surprise team that is lucky to be where it is thanks to its success in close games. The squad is 10-0 in contests decided by six points or less. Because of this, KenPom.com rates the Terrapins as the luckiest team in the nation.

Of course, senior Dez Wells argues that confidence is the reason his team has been so good late in games. He explained the difference to Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post:

"

You see guys go to the free throw line and you can tell they’re nervous by just their approach to the free throw line: hands are shaking and stuff like that. I feel like in those close games, the guys who have prepared — who are ready and who have that confidence to step up there and make free throws and to take care of the ball down the stretch — are the teams that deserve to win.

"

Conversely, Indiana has had its share of heartbreaks to keep it from a guaranteed spot in the NCAA tournament. This is not to say the Hoosiers lack confidence or any sort of "clutch gene," but certain factors prevent them from coming away with wins.

One major issue with the squad is an inability to defend the paint—a problem that could be even worse if Hanner Mosquera-Perea is out after his knee injury.

With Dez Wells and Melo Trimble able to drive into the lane and finish at the rim for Maryland, the favorite should be able to pull out another close win.

Prediction: Maryland 70, Indiana 68

No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Ohio State

USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State is a scary team for anyone to face this postseason because D'Angelo Russell is capable of taking over any game and carrying the Buckeyes to victory.

After the latest win over Minnesota, head coach Thad Matta simply told the freshman to start taking control—and he did:

With an average of 24 points per game over the last four outings, it's clear he has become a force to be reckoned with at this stage of the year. On the other hand, Michigan State is one team that showed it can slow him down.

When the two teams played in February, Russell was held to just 10 points on 4-of-13 from the field, his second-lowest scoring output of the season.

The key is the presence of 6'5" point guard Denzel Valentine, who has been just as important to Michigan State as Russell has been to Ohio State. The junior knows how to use his length and is usually in the right position defensively to prevent the opposing guard from having a big game. 

With Branden Dawson cleared to play, he should be able to dominate the post and give the Spartans the advantage in this one.

Prediction: Michigan State 61, Ohio State 56

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.