The Favourites to win 2019 Big Ten Basketball Tournament

The 2019 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament will tip off tonight. The annual tournament is being held at Chicago's United Center, and the competition will provide five straight days of exciting, high-quality basketball.

The tournament serves as the postseason to the Big Ten Conference, and Michigan enter as the two-time defending champions. Nevertheless, the Wolverines will face plenty of competition as they look to reclaim their crown, and here we will examine the favourites to win the Championship Game on Sunday.

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Wisconsin - No. 4 Seed - Latest Odds: +600

Michigan State will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2018

The Wisconsin Badgers enter this year's tournament looking to improve upon their disappointing 2018. Last year, the Badgers failed to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998, and the team also suffered an early Big Ten loss to Michigan State.

A year on and Wisconsin has improved, finishing the regular season as the No. 4 seed thanks to a 14-6 record. Despite this, the Badgers' Big Ten prospects look bleak as the team will likely face a match with Michigan State on Saturday, and Wisconsin will have to be at their absolute best to overcome the pre-tournament favourites.

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Purdue - No. 2 Seed - Odds: +300

Purdue will be looking to reach their third final in four years

While Purdue enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed, doubt remains over their ability to go all the way. After all, the team has lost in two of the last three finals, and despite boasting one of the best offensive units in the conference, doubts remain over Purdue's ability to come out on top during clutch situations.

Nevertheless, Purdue has one of the most exciting players in the tournament in Carsen Edwards. The 21-year-old guard is a player who can carry the team's offense on his back, and if Edwards has a big tournament, Purdue could still find a route to the Final.

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Michigan - No. 3 Seed - Odds: +225

Michigan won both the 2017 and 2018 Big Ten Tournaments

Michigan enters the tournament bidding to become the first team in Big Ten history to lift the trophy for a third consecutive year. Despite being ranked at No. 5 and No. 8 in the last two tournaments, Michigan has managed to defy the odds on both occasions, most recently defeating Purdue in last year's final. This year, Michigan enters Big Ten as the No. 3 seed, although despite achieving a higher ranking, the Wolverines will face serious competition from their close rivals, Michigan State.

The team also has a number of injury doubts, most specifically, 22-year-old Charles Matthews, who many experts view as a key player for the team. Ultimately, Michigan is well equipped to go far in the competition, however, we’ll have to wait and see if they can overcome their state rivals.

Michigan State - No. 1 Seed - Odds: +140

Michigan State enters as the favourites to take home the Championship on Sunday

The Michigan State Spartans enter this week's tournament as the clear favourites. They enter seeded No.1 thanks to their 16-4 conference record, and their recent win over the Wolverines earned the Spartans a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship.

Nevertheless, while the Spartans are expected to lift the trophy on Sunday, the team is still dealing with a number of injuries such as the season-ending injury to Josh Langford, while forward Nick Ward also remains doubtful to play this week.

Despite the injury setbacks, the Spartans still have Cassius Winston, whose influence on the team has slowly grown as the season has progressed. The 21-year-old has impressed with his playmaking skills, and the point guard is also averaging nearly 20 points per game. Ultimately, the Spartans have all the tools to win, and they will be hard to beat over the next five days.

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