The Northwestern Wildcats (17-7) travel to face off against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (13-10) on Thursday, February 15th. This game will be played at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway and televised on BTN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 6:30 ET.
Northwestern Wildcats vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The Northwestern Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
Northwestern has been much better at home this season, going 15-1 compared to 2-6 on the road. They have a scoring differential of +11.3 at home compared to -7.1 on the road. They have won eight straight games at home, but they enter this game with a four-game losing streak on the road.
Overall, the Wildcats are 17-7 this season, including a 9-2 record in non-conference games. They have gone 8-5 in Big Ten play, and they are coming off a 68-63 win over Penn State.
Northwestern has gone 2-5-1 ATS on the road this season and is 4-5-1 ATS in their last 10 road games. As the underdog, the Wildcats have gone 4-4 vs. the spread this year and are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games as the underdog. Their overall ATS record this season is 11-11-2.
Today’s over/under line of 131.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Northwestern’s games this year (137.5). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 139 points, which is higher than today’s over/under line of 131.5. On the season, the over/under record in Northwestern’s games is 16-8.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights Are Coming Off A Win
After picking up a 78-56 win over Wisconsin, Rutgers will look to extend its win streak to four games. The Scarlet Knights are 13-10 overall and 5-7 in Big Ten play this season. They have gone 10-5 at home, compared to 3-5 on the road.
On the year, Rutgers has been favored in 12 of its 23 games, going 9-3 in those contests. Over the team’s last 10 games at home, they have gone 6-4. For the season, the Scarlet Knights have an average scoring margin of +6.5 at home.
As the favorite this season, Rutgers has gone 6-6 vs. the spread. At home, the Scarlet Knights have an ATS mark of 8-7. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, Rutgers has a 5-5 record vs. the spread.
This season, Rutgers’ over/under record sits at 7-16 and today’s over/under line of 131.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (137.5). So far, 13 of their games have finished with less points than today’s OU line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 123 points.
Northwestern Offense Breakdown
In their recent matchup, the Northwestern offense ended with 68 points against Penn State. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 31.7% and made 6 threes. Boo Buie is leading the team in scoring at 18.8 points per contest. Brooks Barnhizer has also been a key contributor with a PPG average of 14.5 going into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boo Buie (G) | 18.8 | 3.6 | 5.3 |
| Brooks Barnhizer (G) | 14.5 | 6.7 | 2.8 |
| Ryan Langborg (G) | 12.0 | 3.2 | 2.5 |
Rutgers Offense Breakdown
Coming off their recent game, the Rutgers offense tallied 78 points in a matchup against Wisconsin. Their field goal percentage for the game was 44.8%, and they made 10 threes. Jeremiah Williams led the scoring for the Scarlet Knights, contributing 18 points. Additionally, Noah Fernandes chipped in with 17 points.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aundre Hyatt (F) | 11.3 | 4.9 | 1.3 |
| Clifford Omoruyi (C) | 11.0 | 9.1 | 0.5 |
| Derek Simpson (G) | 9.3 | 3.5 | 3.3 |
Northwestern Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the Northwestern defense is giving up an average of 69.8 points per contest. The Northwestern defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 63 points and allowed Penn State to connect on 6 threes.
Rutgers Team Defense
This season, the Rutgers defense has been impressive, holding the 29th position in the country while permitting an average of 65.0 points per contest. Against Wisconsin in their most recent game, the Rutgers defense gave up a total of 56 points while allowing Wisconsin to hit 44% of their shots.
Wildcats vs Scarlet Knights Trends
- In their last ten games away from home, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 4-5-1 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 67 points per game in these contests.
- Across their five previous home games, Rutgers has an ATS mark of 2-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-3 while averaging 64 points per game.
- Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Northwestern has an ATS mark of 2-1 while going 1-2 straight up.
- Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Rutgers has an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 8-2 straight up.
Wildcats vs Scarlet Knights Prediction
Not only do we have the Scarlet Knights winning this one by a score of 76-68, but we see them covering the spread. Our pick is to grab the Scarlet Knights at -2.5.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 131.5, and our model projects the Wildcats and Scarlet Knights to reach a combined total of 144 points. Our bet is on taking the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:February 15, 2024 Northwestern Wildcats, Rutgers Scarlet Knights