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The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will travel to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a Thursday night Big Ten college basketball matchup at the Williams Arena. With that said, check out our college basketball odds series which has our Rutgers-Minnesota prediction and pick.
Rutgers has gone 18-11 this season, including a 10-8 mark in Big Ten play. The Scarlet Knights have struggled a bit of late, going 2-4 in their last six games. Head coach Steve Pikiell has guided his team to two straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Minnesota has struggled mightily this season, going 7-20 overall and a brutal 1-16 conference record. Following a victory over Ohio State in the middle of January, Minnesota has lost their last 12 games. Head coach Ben Johnson has struggled in his first two seasons as a head coach.
Here are the Rutgers-Minnesota college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Rutgers-Minnesota Odds
Rutgers Scarlet Knights: -8.5 (-110)
Minnesota Golden Gophers: +8.5 (-110)
Over: 126.5 (-115)
Under: 126.5 (-105)
How To Watch Rutgers vs. Minnesota
TV: FOX Sports 1
Stream: FOX Sports GO
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Rutgers Could Cover The Spread
Clifford Omoruyi leads the Scarlet Knights with 13.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, narrowly missing a double-double. In his third season with the team, Omoruyi has put up career-high numbers, improving year over year. Now, Omoruyi is clearly one of the best big men in the conference, and arguably the nation. Cam Spencer is the second and only other Scarlet Knight to average double-digits, ranking second with 12.6 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. Spencer leads the team with a ridiculous 92.5 free throw percentage. Senior guard Paul Mulcahy has shot 38.4 percent from behind the three-point line, and has averaged 8.3 points per game. As a team, Rutgers has averaged 68.5 points per game while allowing just 59.7 points per game.
KenPom, a popular analytic website, favors the Scarlet Knights' defense, ranking the team 168th in adjusted offensive efficiency, and an impressive third in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Why Minnesota Could Cover The Spread
Dawson Garcia leads the team with 15.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, shooting 45.5 percent from the field. Jamison Battle, a transfer from George Washington, is second on the team with 12.9 points per game, adding an impressive 85.2 free throw shooting percentage. Ta’lon Cooper has narrowly missed double-digits, scoring 9.9 points, and leads the team with 5.9 assists per game. Minnesota has shot 42.5 percent from the field as a team. The Golden Gophers have struggled from behind the three-point line, shooting just 31.3 percent. Minnesota has averaged just 62.0 points per game on offense while allowing 70.8 points per game to their opponents.
Advanced stats also frown on the Gophers, with KenPom ranking the team 274th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 171st in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Final Rutgers-Minnesota Prediction & Pick
Rutgers will handle this trip pretty easily.
Final Rutgers-Minnesota Prediction & Pick: Rutgers -8.5 (-110), over 126.5 (-115)
