Rutgers vs Northwestern prediction, pick, College Basketball odds
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It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Rutgers Northwestern prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Rutgers Northwestern.
The Northwestern Wildcats are not in good position to make the NCAA Tournament, but if there is one thing working in their favor at the end of January, it is that their Big Ten schedule will become easier in the future. Northwestern has already played Michigan State, Michigan, and Illinois twice. The Wildcats have been thrown into the deep end of the pool in the Big Ten Conference. They have been roughed up, but the hope is that the Cats can mop up against the inferior teams in the Big Ten and can stack a lot of wins between now and Selection Sunday. They have beaten Maryland and Illinois, so it’s not as though they don’t have any good wins to build on. They do. They just have to be able to consistently beat the teams they are supposed to beat, and probably pick up at least one or two more quality wins. Then they might be able to work their way back into the conversation for a possible at-large bid. This game at home versus Rutgers is exactly the kind of game Northwestern cannot afford to lose. If NU loses this game, its NCAA hopes would take a massive hit.
Rutgers has had a brutal season under head coach Steve Pikiell. The Scarlet Knights were supposed to be good. They have two NBA lottery pick-level players, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. Surely, two elite talents should enable a college basketball team to make the NCAA tourney. Yet, it just hasn’t panned out that way. The supporting cast has not been up to the task. Rutgers doesn’t work together as a team. There is not a five-as-one continuity or harmony with this group. It has to rate as one of the most frustrating seasons of Pikiell’s career.
For Northwestern, seeing Rutgers struggle has to be very annoying in this regard: Rutgers is not a good team, and losing to Rutgers would qualify as a bad loss. Yet, Northwestern has to figure out how to contain the Scarlet Knights’ two NBA-level prospects. The challenge seems daunting, and yet the game is deemed a must-win because Rutgers doesn’t have a good overall record. It’s the kind of game a bubble team hates playing. Nonetheless, Northwestern has to handle this situation and stack some wins.
Here are the Rutgers-Northwestern College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Rutgers-Northwestern Odds
Rutgers: +7.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +240
Northwestern: -7.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -300
Over: 140.5 (-115)
Under: 140.5 (-105)
How to Watch Rutgers vs Northwestern
Time: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
TV: Big Ten Network
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Rutgers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Scarlet Knights have two NBA lottery picks on their roster. They are playing a Northwestern team which is not performing at an NCAA Tournament-level standard. They can lose by seven and still cover the spread. What’s not to like from a Rutgers betting perspective here?
Why Northwestern Will Cover The Spread/Win
Rutgers is bad for a reason. Northwestern is a more cohesive team. It is playing at home. It is in an urgent situation where defeat is not an option. NU will play desperate, focused, disciplined basketball and will win by 12 points.
Final Rutgers-Northwestern Prediction & Pick
This one is a really hard game to call. We’re leaning Rutgers but don’t think RU is trustworthy. Pass.
Final Rutgers-Northwestern Prediction & Pick: Rutgers +7.5
The post Rutgers vs Northwestern prediction, pick, College Basketball odds appeared first on ClutchPoints.
