Northwestern vs Rutgers Prediction - Basketball Picks 3/5/23

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (18-12) vs Northwestern Wildcats (20-10)

Game Info: Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 7:30 pm (Jersey Mike's Arena)

Betting Odds: Rutgers Scarlet Knights -5 -- Over/Under: 125 Click Here for the Latest Odds

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The Northwestern Wildcats and Rutgers Scarlet Knights face off on Sunday in a college basketball showdown at The RAC. When these two teams faced off on January 11th it was Rutgers that secured the 65-62 victory.

Northwestern Betting Preview

Northwestern comes into this game with a 20-10 record overall and they have gone 18-12 against the spread. In the last game against Penn State, Northwestern scored 65 points and that led to the three-point defeat. Northwestern is averaging 67.8 points while their defense is giving up 62.6 points per game. The offense is ranked 279th while the defense is ranked 23rd. Boo Buie has been the top player for Northwestern averaging 17.3 points while shooting 40.5 percent from the field.

Rutgers Betting Preview

On the other side of this matchup is Rutgers who sits with an 17-12 record overall and they have gone 17-12-1 against the spread. In the laste game against Minnesota though they blew a late lead and ended up losing 75-74 on a buzzer beater. Rutgers is averaging 68.7 points while their defense is giving up 60.2 points per game. At times this offense has been an issue, and it’s going to need to be better here, or this is going to be a long game. Clifford Omoruyi is having a strong season averaging 13.5 points while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 19 percent from behind the three point line.

Northwestern vs Rutgers Trends

Rutgers is 1-5-1 against the spread in their last seven games overall. The under is 7-1-1 in Northwestern’s last nine games overall. The under is 13-3 in Rutgers last 16 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600.

Shane’s Free Pick

This total is a bit too high. I don’t trust this Rutgers offense and their lack of scoring is going to be a problem. I do expect their offense is going to find success though, and the scoring for Northwestern is also going to struggle. Both teams are going to struggle to get to 65 points and the under will cash. I also like Northwestern to cover the spread.