The Rutgers Scarlett Knights and Ohio State Buckeyes have not had great seasons with both teams towards the bottom of the Big Ten Conference standings looking for a win in New Jersey on Sunday to improve their seeding for the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.
Ohio State Buckeyes (PK, 135) vs. Rutgers Scarlett Knights
These teams are opposites, however, as Rutgers has had one of the most dominant defenses in the nation while having an offense that fails to produce points while Ohio State ranks 67th in points scored on a per-possession basis on offense while ranking 140th in points allowed per possession.
Rutgers entered the weekend ranked fifth in the nation in points allowed on a per-possession basis when specifically playing at home and allows 22 points fewer per 100 possessions at home than on the road. Ohio State’s defense allows 11 more points per 100 possessions on the road than at home.
Ohio State’s biggest issue this season has been guarding the perimeter, ranking 310th in the nation in opponents’ 3-point shooting percentage in road games at 37.5% and 301st in turnovers forced per play on defense.
Ohio State’s weaknesses are Rutgers’ strengths as the team ranks 11th in turnovers forced on a per-possession basis in home games and allows opponents to shoot just 29.5% from 3-point range at home, which ranks 45th in the nation.
While Rutgers is paltry on offense, ranking 332nd in points scored on a per-possession basis, the team has averaged 3.9 points more per 100 possessions since guard Jeremiah Williams returned from injury 10 games ago. Williams leads the team with 13.3 points and 3.1 assists per game.
With Rutgers improving on offense, Williams back in the mix and its defensive dominance at home, Rutgers will close the regular season with a home win.
The Play: Rutgers Moneyline +102
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