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Rutgers vs Clemson Picks and Odds

John Perrotto

by John Perrotto in College Basketball

Updated Mar 18, 2021 · 8:40 PM PDT

Ron Harper Jr. dribbling with left hand
Rutgers guard Ron Harper Jr. (24) plays against Illinois in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis, Friday, March 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
  • Rutgers is a 1.5-point favorite over Clemson in an NCAA Tournament first round play
  • Rutgers is making its first appearance in the NCAAs since 1991
  • The odds, lines and spread for Rutgers-Clemson along with betting advice can be found below

Two teams who cooled considerably after outstanding starts to the season match up when #7 seed Clemson faces #10 Rutgers at 9:20pm ET Friday in an NCAA Tournament Midwest Region first round game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Clemson (16-7) won nine of its first 10 games but has since gone 7-6. Rutgers (15-11) has won just eight of its last 18 games after an 8-1 start but is a small favorite.

Rutgers vs Clemson Odds

Team Moneyline Spread at FanDuel Total
Rutgers -130 -1.5 (-116) Over 125.5 (-110)
Clemson +110 +110 (-106) Under 125.5 (-110)

Odds taken March 18.

Both teams lost early in their conference tournaments last week. Despite being eight-point favorites, the Tigers fell to Miami 67-64 in the ACC second round. The Scarlet Knights were routed by Illinois 90-68 in the Big Ten quarterfinals as eight-point underdogs.

No Bursting Rutgers’ Bubble

Rutgers was considered on the bubble to make the tournament in the eyes of some bracketologists. However, the Scarlet Knights’ strength of schedule playing in the Big Ten sufficiently impressed the selection committee as they gained their first berth since 1991.

Junior wing Ron Harper Jr. is Rutgers’ top player. He is averaging 15.4 points and 5.9 rebounds game and has turned the ball over just 26 times in 798 minutes played this season.

Senior guard Jacob Young has a 14.4 scoring average while dishing 3.5 assists and making 1.8 steals. Senior guard Geo Baker averages 10.1 points and 3.2 assists. Junior center Myles Johnson is shooting 63.8% from the field and has averages of 8.3 points and 8.7 rebounds.

Rutgers was not competitive in the loss to Illinois, falling behind by 19 points in the first half. The Scarlet Knights cut the deficit to 13 in the second half but got no closer. Illinois also held a 44-19 rebound advantage, including 17-3 on the offensive boards.

Harper scored a team-high 21 points. While it was his seventh game of 20-plus points this season, he reached that figure for just the second time in the last 18 games.

Young added 13 points and Baker contributed 10.

Clemson Clunker

Clemson has dropped two its last three games and its loss to Miami last week was a head scratcher. The Hurricanes had just six scholarship players available because of injuries and defections.

Senior forward Aamir Simms led Clemson with 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists. It was ninth time in the last 10 games that Simms scored in double figures after doing so six times in his first 13 games.

At 13.3 points a game, Simms is the only Clemson player with a double-figure scoring average. He is also pulling down 6.2 rebounds a game while shooting 54.3% from the field and 40.7% from three-point range.

Clemson made 8-of-11 (72.7%) three-pointers in the first half while building a 36-32 lead but was just 4-of-12 (33.3%) beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes.

Junior forward Hunter Tyson had 16 points, matching a season high, and seven rebounds. He is coming on strong late in the season as he also scored 16 in Clemson’s win over Pittsburgh in the regular-season finale.

Senior guard Clyde Trapp added 10 points, ending a streak of six straight games in single digits.

Look Like Twins

Rutgers and Clemson have their share of similarities, including fading when the competition got stronger and being very good defensive teams.

The Scarlet Knights are 18th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing 90.6 points per 100 possessions, according to KenPom. The Tigers are 20th at 90.8.

The winner gets #2 Houston or #15 Cleveland State in the second round.

In a game that figures to be low scoring, taking the points seems like the logical play.

Pick: Clemson +1.5 (-106)

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