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College basketball provides some of the most unique home court advantages in sports and the way Rutgers plays at The RAC is an embodiment of this as they prepare to host the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday.
Wisconsin Badgers at Rutgers Scarlett Knights (-2.5, 133.5)
The Scarlett Knights offense gets a bit of a boost at home, scoring 6.6 more points per 100 possessions than on the road, but it is the defense that gets the bigger jolt, allowing 17.4 points per 100 possessions fewer at home than on the road.
Wisconsin is looking for revenge in this showdown as Rutgers went on the road earlier this month and got a 73-65 win, a game that hurt guard Johnny Davis’ Wooden Award chances.
In the first meeting Davis had 11 points, eight rebounds, and four turnovers, which is a part of a four game stretch in which has committed at least four turnovers in three of them, but has also done his best work on the boards recently with 89 total rebounds the past nine games.
Much of Rutgers’ success in Big Ten play has been due to making 37.1% of their 3-point shots and went 7-of-12 from beyond the arc in the first matchup against a Wisconsin defense that is 140th in the country in opponent 3-point shooting percentage with opponents shooting 34.9% on the road compared to 31.2% at home.
The list of teams that have lost at The RAC this season includes Rutgers, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan State, and Ohio State and on Saturday Wisconsin will be added to this list.
The Play: Rutgers -2.5
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