Rutgers vs Minnesota Odds, Lines, and Spread
- The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (13-10, 9-10 Big Ten) cap off the regular season with a battle with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (13-13, 6-13 Big Ten) on Saturday
- Both teams are coming off of embarrassing losses in their last game
- See the odds, spread, analysis, and best bet, below
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Minnesota Golden Gophers will wrap up their regular seasons at the Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota Saturday (12 pm ET).
The Scarlet Knights have won the last three games in this series but failed to cover 5.5 points in their last win on February 2nd, only winning 76-72. Rutgers has been installed as 2.5-point favorites this time around.
Rutgers vs Minnesota Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers Scarlet Knights | -2.5 (-110) | -146 | Ov 140 (-110) |
| Minnesota Golden Gophers | +2.5 (-110) | +124 | Un 140 (-110) |
Odds as of March 5th at FanDuel.
The Scarlet Knights have looked impressive at times this season but they were anything but in their last game against Nebraska. The could only muster 51 points on 39% shooting against a Cornhusker team that were without their best player, Teddy Allen.
Minnesota has been an afterthought in the Big Ten for awhile now and they were exactly that against Penn State in their last action. The 84-65 loss was the programs’ sixth straight setback.
Rutgers Has to Get Right
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights have been getting by all year with defense as they rank 18th in the nation in defensive efficiency (adjusted for opponent) according to KenPom. They have a lot of athletes that seem to be able to match up with anyone. Even with those athletes pulling off highlight reel dunks, Rutgers got rolled by Nebraska the last time they were in action.
😤 @MylestheMonster repping his name on this one-handed jam for @RutgersMBB! pic.twitter.com/sIq5eOYuvr
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 2, 2021
The surprising part of this game was the fact that Nebraska’s Teddy Allen left the program before this game. Without their leading scorer, the Cornhuskers were 8-point underdogs that were given no chance to compete by most bettors. Nebraska came out without their leader like he never existed going into the locker rooms at the half leading 42-25. The Cornhuskers played inspired beating the Scarlet Knights in every statistical category.
Minnesota Is in a Funk
The once promising Golden Gopher season has quickly reached the point of dumpster fire at this point. It seems like a lifetime ago that they were 13-7 coming off of a win over Purdue heading into a Valentine’s Day matchup with Maryland. That game started their free fall and it is still going after an 84-65 slapping by the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Final. pic.twitter.com/I66rIxiWl2
— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) March 4, 2021
The game against Penn State wasn’t one for very long. The Nittany Lions were able to abuse the Golden Gophers always porous three-point defense early and often en route to a 46-28 halftime lead. One bright spot for Minnesota was the play of Marcus Carr. He went over 20 points for the third straight game, pouring in 22 in the losing effort.
Best Betting Angle
This isn’t the biggest game for either team but one would expect the Rutgers defense to show up after getting embarrassed against Nebraska. The Scarlet Knights are currently 46th in the country in steals per game which could negate Minnesota’s usually careful offense. Rutgers won the fast break battle 19-6 last time these teams met and it will be important they do so again this time.
Jacob Young doing what Jacob Young does.@Jybackk // @RutgersMBB pic.twitter.com/y7xxlgzIYh
— Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) March 2, 2021
If Rutgers can play this game with a lead, it will go a long way in keeping the score down. Their Achilles heel is their free-throw shooting as they are one of the worst teams in the country at 62.4%. If a free-throw contest breaks out at the end, the poor shooting could rear it’s ugly head. Last time they played Minnesota, they shot 72% which contributed to the game going over but the number has been adjusted this time around. Given the situation and the inflated total, the under is firmly in play on Saturday.
The pick: Under 140 (-110)
John has spent the past 20+ years betting sports on a daily basis and is considered by many to be a walking sports betting encyclopedia. From obscure player props to sides and totals, if there is an angle, John will find it.
