CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli took a look at the best and worst value wagers for the Big Ten championship for the 2023 college football season.
Using odds from Caesars Sportsbook, Fornelli broke down all of his favorite odds on the board. Of course, he had plenty to say about the Iowa Hawkeyes.
As a matter of fact, after an offseason where Iowa added key figures both offensively and defensively, Fornelli chose the Hawkeyes as his top “long shot” pick to win the Big Ten conference with odds of +800.
Long shots don’t exist in this league. If it’s not Michigan or Ohio State, Penn State is the most likely other winner. That said, you don’t have to be a great team to reach the Big Ten Championship Game from the West, and from there it’s just winning one more game.
It’s easy to make fun of Iowa’s defense being its best offense, but I believe this program has been sincere with its offseason efforts to get better. Otherwise, the transfer portal additions of quarterback Cade McNamara and tight end Erick All from Michigan, among others, don’t make sense. So take a moment and think about how many games Iowa has won over the years while scoring 17 points. Now ask yourself what might be possible if it routinely scores in the mid-20s. If you’re looking for a long shot in this conference, this is as far down the board as you should go. Fornelli, CBS Sports.
In addition to those listed above, Iowa also brought in former Ohio State receiver Kaleb Brown, Charleston Southern receiver Seth Anderson and offensive linemen Rusty Feth and Daijon Parker. Plus, the Hawkeyes went ahead and grabbed an All-ACC selection at linebacker out of the transfer portal in former Virginia Cavalier Nick Jackson.
As for the rest of the league, here’s how Fornelli sees things playing out.
Like many analysts and bettors out there, Fornelli likes the favorite best. With +175 odds to track down the 2023 Big Ten title, Fornelli is all in on the Michigan Wolverines capturing a third straight league crown.
Their starting quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, is back, as is one of the best running backs in the country, Blake Corum. While they’ve lost key players at other positions, Michigan has recruited and developed well enough in recent years that I’m confident the replacements will be just as good, if not slightly better. – Fornelli, CBS Sports.
Interestingly, Fornelli chose Wisconsin as his “worst wager.” The Badgers have +700 odds to win the 2023 Big Ten championship. Fornelli was quick to point out that Wisconsin representing the Big Ten West in the championship game wouldn’t surprise him, he’s just not ready to go all-in on the Badgers winning the league in Luke Fickell and his staff’s first season in Madison.
While I believe the Luke Fickell hire will prove to be successful in the long run, the changes being made at Wisconsin are too drastic to not expect any bumps in the first season. – Fornelli, CBS Sports.
Lastly, Fornelli chose Penn State as his “best value” wager.
Per Caesars Sportsbook, the full odds to win the Big Ten look like this:
- Michigan, +175
- Ohio State, +200
- Penn State, +650
- Wisconsin, +700
- Iowa, +800
- Minnesota, +1500
- Illinois, +2000
- Nebraska, +2000
- Maryland, +10,000
- Michigan State, +10,000
- Purdue, +12,500
- Indiana, +20,000
- Northwestern, +20,000
- Rutgers, +20,000
The 2023 college football season kicks off for Iowa with an 11 a.m. kickoff date on FS1 versus Utah State from Kinnick Stadium. Several other kickoff times for the Hawkeyes were announced today as well.
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