The Rutgers Scarlet Knights take on the Wisconsin Badgers in a Big Ten matchup on Thursday, March 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game will air on FS1.
Rutgers (15-14, 7-11 B1G) fell in their latest game against Nebraska and have lost four of their last five games. The Scarlet Knights are not in the picture for a March Madness berth as their regular season comes to an end. However, they grabbed a dominant win over Wisconsin earlier this season, defeating the Badgers 78-56. They had eight steals to Wisconsin’s three in the win, and shot 44.8% to the Badgers’ 32.8%.
The Scarlet Knights rank 88th overall at KenPom, but land at fourth in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency. Rutgers holds opposing offenses to 66 points per game (24th in the nation) on 40.3% shooting (14th in the nation). But they struggle on offense, averaging just 66.3 points per game themselves. RU might be missing forward Magwot Mag who is questionable with an unlisted injury, but he was at shootaround this morning.
Wisconsin (18-11, 10-8 B1G) is currently projected to earn a No. 6 seed come March by ESPN. The Badgers sit at fifth place in Big Ten standings and most recently lost to Illinois. They have now lost three of their last four games, including two upsets by Iowa and Indiana. A weak end to the regular season and an early exit from the Big Ten Tournament could see them drop in seeding.
The Badgers rank 22nd overall at KenPom and 16th in adjusted offensive efficiency. They hand over 9.8 turnovers per game (25th in the nation) and score 74.4 points per game (128th in the nation).
Rutgers vs. Wisconsin odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Wisconsin -9.5
Total: 132
Moneyline: Wisconsin -485, Rutgers +370
Pick: Wisconsin -9.5
The chance that Rutgers gets the same offensive output this time around as they did in their earlier matchup with Wisconsin is very slim. The Scarlet Knights have not been pulling out wins lately, and with the pressure on in Madison, the Badgers will step things up on their home court to pull away here. Wisconsin wins and covers the spread.