Odds are shifting ahead of high-stakes showdown between Indiana and Northwestern

Wednesday night's Big Ten Tournament matchup against Northwestern is about as must-win as it gets for Darian DeVries and the Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana is clinging to hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, and needs to find the win column against the Wildcats in order to avoid falling further off the bubble.

Hoosiers must avenge their worst loss of the season on Wednesday in Big Ten Tournament

It will be the first game of the conference tournament for Indiana, while 15th-seeded Northwestern defeated 18th-seeded Penn State by a score of 76-66 on Tuesday to advance in the bracket and face the Hoosiers.

Oddsmakers have made their stance on this game clear, and the odds continue to shift as tip-off draws nearer.

Indiana vs Northwestern betting odds continue to shift leading up to tip-off

Professional oddsmakers are giving the edge to the Hoosiers in this one. Indiana as a 4-point favorite over Northwestern when odds were initially released on DraftKings Sportsbook. Those odds continue to shift in Indiana's favor.

Now, the Hoosiers are 6.5-point favorites over the Wildcats with moneyline odds of -258. Northwestern has moneyline odds of +210 to pull off the upset and the total, or over/under, is listed at 142.5.

It's possible that the absence of junior forward Arterrin Page could be contributing to the shifting odds in IU's favor. Page is slated to miss his third consecutive game with an illness, and his absence is a big one for the Wildcats. Page is Northwestern's second-leading scorer averaging 10.2 points per game while also chipping in 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game on the season. He also leads the Wildcats with an impressive shooting percentage of 54.6% and uses his 6'11" 245-pound frame to be a great rim protector. Not having his presence on both ends of the floor is certainly a problem for Chris Collins' team.

Furthermore, moving the odds in Indiana's favor shows that bettors and oddsmakers alike are liking IU's chances of finding the win column. Doing so would be huge for Indiana's March Madness hopes, and would give them revenge over Northwestern after suffering a crushing 72-68 loss to the Wildcats on February 24 at Assembly Hall. The loss was IU's worst of the season, and caused their NCAA Tournament chances to take a serious dive.

But IU can get back on track on Wednesday night with a win over Northwestern. A win over 7th-seeded Purdue on Thursday would also boost their tournament chances, but right now the Hoosiers just need to worry about one thing at a time.

Tip-off between the Hoosiers and Wildcats is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.