In the first round of the 2025 Big Ten men’s basketball tournament, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will take on the University of Southern California Trojans at 8:30 p.m. ET. Rutgers won the first meeting between the two teams 95-85 on February 23 in New Jersey. The winner of this matchup will face Purdue on Thursday night in the second round of the bracket.
Here’s a college basketball pick for Wednesday’s game between USC and Rutgers.
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USC vs. Rutgers (8:30 p.m. ET)
Rutgers finished the regular season 15-16 while going 8-12 in Big Ten play. Although USC had an identical record overall, they were a game worse in conference play. Rutgers has been 2-2 since their last matchup, while USC has been 1-3. The Trojans are 2-8 during their previous 10 games.
With Rutgers’ recent win over USC and the Trojans’ recent struggles, it is surprising to see the Scarlet Knights as +1.5 underdogs on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Star freshman guard Dylan Harper had 25 points and nine assists against USC in February. He is leading Rutgers in scoring this season while averaging 19.2 points per game. Ace Bailey, the second half of the Scarlet Knights’ star duo, averages 17.6 points a contest along with 7.2 rebounds. Depth has been a problem for Rutgers this season as they only have two players who average double digits.
USC has struggled on defense lately, allowing 87-plus points in four of its previous six games. With how recently USC has played, it isn’t easy to back them, especially against such a talented, high-level Rutgers scoring duo.
College Basketball Pick: Rutgers +1.5
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