The Big Ten has won the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in consecutive years and it will kick off its defense in earnest for a run at a three-peat — which it has not done since 2011 — on Monday night as this year’s challenge gets underway.
This year’s games will tip from Virginia as the Cavaliers host Iowa for a 7 p.m. ET start in John Paul Jones Arena on Monday. The second game of the evening will tip from Champaign, Illinois, as the short-handed Illini welcome Notre Dame. Then things get interesting, with Tuesday night serving as a marathon six-game slate headlined by Duke, the new No. 1 team in the AP Top 25, taking on Ohio State and No. 2 Purdue facing Florida State to cap this year’s event.
The ACC still holds a 12-7-3 edge in the all-time series between the two leagues since the challenge’s inception in 1999, but the Big Ten has won seven times since 2009 and figures to be favored in half, if not more, of its matchups this week. The schedule — and our picks for the games against the spread — are below. (Our picks will be posted as betting lines are released.)
Monday’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge schedule
Iowa at Virginia
Time: 7 p.m. ET | Location: John Paul Jones Arena — Charlottesville, Virginia
TV: ESPN2 | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Featured Game | Virginia Cavaliers vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
Really good offense in Iowa takes on a predictably good defense in Virginia. A true strength-on-strength battle that should produce a great game. But I’m taking Iowa on the road here. Keegan Murray is demolishing everyone in sight — he’s scored at least 23 points in each of his six games — and Virginia’s going to have a whale of a time slowing him and this dominant offense. Prediction: Iowa 71, Virginia 67
Notre Dame at Illinois
Time: 9 p.m. ET | Location: State Farm Arena — Champaign, Illinois
TV: ESPN2 | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Illinois could be without Andre Curbelo, Trent Frazier and two others in this one, all of whom are questionable because of injury or ailments. So I’m actually going to take the road team in this one, too. Illinois has looked pretty shaky at full strength this season so if it’s shorthanded it could have some real troubles. Notre Dame has the talent and depth to pull this one off. Prediction: Notre Dame 67, Illinois 64
Tuesday’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge schedule
Minnesota at Pitt | 7 p.m. | ESPNU
Indiana at Syracuse | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
Clemson at Rutgers | 9 p.m. | ESPN2
Florida State at No. 2 Purdue | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Northwestern at Wake Forest | 9 p.m. | ESPNU
No. 1 Duke at Ohio State | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN
Wednesday’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge schedule
Louisville at No. 22 Michigan State | 7:15 p.m. | ESPN
Nebraska at NC State | 7:15 p.m. | ESPNU
Virginia Tech at Maryland | 7:15 p.m. | ESPN2
Miami at Penn State | 9:15 p.m. | ESPNU
No. 24 Michigan at North Carolina | 9:15 p.m. | ESPN
No. 23 Wisconsin at Georgia Tech | 9:15 p.m. | ESPN2
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