After knocking on the door of 20 wins with Romeo Langford leading the way last season, the potential for the Indiana University’s men’s basketball team in 2019-20 seems diminished in comparison. Two Indiana sportsbooks posting Indiana college basketball futures agree with that sentiment.
While the Hoosiers should still field a team that can play defense well enough to finish in the top half of the Big Ten, Indiana might struggle to replace the scoring it got last season.
Because of that, those interested in Indiana sports betting might be wise to not be too optimistic with their money.
How the Hoosiers look in regards to Indiana college basketball futures
There are some considerations before betting on the Indiana Hoosiers this year. Not only will Indiana have to replace the scoring of Langford but Juwan Morgan as well. Those two players were the Hoosiers’ top two scorers in 2018-19.
While Devonte Green and Rob Phinisee were contributors last season, it remains to be seen if they can play larger roles in the offense. The same goes for Justin Smith.
While there are question marks on the offensive end, Indiana’s defense might actually improve this season. Langford and Morgan were far from elite defenders, and their replacements show great potential in that regard.
Indiana will need every stop it can get against some daunting foes on the schedule. That applies more to the Big Ten slate than the nonconference schedule, however.
While it’s difficult to look at the Hoosiers’ nonconference slate and be moved by the degree of difficulty (seven consecutive home games against teams from mid-major conferences), the Big Ten figures to be the proving ground for Indiana. There are some highs and lows.
Indiana does get the benefit of facing preseason Associated Press No. 1 Michigan State only once, and that at home. The Hoosiers have the same situation when it comes to another Big Ten middle-tier team, Iowa.
Indiana has a slight reprieve in that it also only has to play Illinois once, but that game will be in Champaign. Every other Big Ten team, like Ohio State and Purdue, the Hoosiers face twice.
Despite the soft nonconference slate and Indiana’s potential to win games with defense, online sportsbooks in Indiana such as DraftKings aren’t high on the Hoosiers. The current odds demonstrate that.
Win totals and Big Ten futures at Indiana sportsbooks
Betting on the NCAA college basketball season is already underway with futures and some win totals.
DraftKings and BetRivers are currently the only mobile sportsbooks with lines on some men’s college basketball teams’ win totals. That includes the Hoosiers.
Both of those currently have Indiana collecting 18 wins this season. That would be one fewer than 2018-19. The lines on both the over and the under currently sit at -110 at both books.
BetRivers and DraftKings also have the Hoosiers +2500 to win the Big Ten regular-season title. Indiana is +10000 to win the 2020 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at both books.
FanDuel Sportsbook, the only other Indiana legal mobile sportsbook, has the Hoosiers +11000 to win it all this season. After Indiana tips off its season on Nov. 5 against Western Illinois, expect more bets to be readily available.
If the Hoosiers are able to surpass 18 wins, it will be because of their defense. Doing so might enable them to contend for the Big Ten title, and that could make some Indiana bettors happy.
