Okay MyBookie college basketball betting nation, you’re going to be treated to what promises to be a thrilling affair when the 14th-ranked Rutgers Scarlet Knights host the 10th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday. With both national championship hopefuls looking to record consecutive wins to close out the week, let’s find out which team is offering the best value against their College Basketball odds in this contest.
College Basketball Betting Picks – No. 10 Iowa at No. 14 Rutgers
Why Bet On No. 10 Iowa
The Hawkeyes bounced back from its overtime loss against Minnesota in its previous to get past Northwestern 87-72 on Tuesday night. Iowa got a team-high 24 points from fifth-year senior Jordan Bohannon while CJ Frederick added 19 points. All-American forward Luka Garza added 18 points in the commanding win.
“He was preaching what he always has been since I’ve been here,” Bohannon said of his recent talk with head coach Fran McCaffery. “He has all of the confidence in me, and that’s why he recruited me, because of how I’ve played on the court with my swag, and how much different we are on the court when I’m like that. He really hasn’t been seeing that in this part of the season.”
Garza, the national scoring leader at 28.8 points per game had his streak of scoring 20 or more points against Big Ten opponents snapped at 18 games. Garza scored a dozen points in the second half after going into the break with just six points.
“He affects your defensive game plan greatly, because he’s unstoppable one-on-one,” Northwestern head coach Chris Collins said of his plan to consistently double-team Garza. “We knew he was going to score — he’s not going to go scoreless. But (Bohannon and Fredrick) really picked them up.”
Iowa averages 94.3 points per game on 48.0 percent shooting from the field and 37.2 percent from downtown. Defensively, Iowa allows 73.9 points per game on 41.4 percent shooting from the field and 35.3 percent from three-point distance.
Why Bet On No. 14 Rutgers
Rutgers also bounced back from its humbling 80-68 road loss against Ohio State on Dec. 23 to beat Purdue 81-76 on Tuesday night without team leader Ron Harper Jr.
“We just had the next-man-up mentality,” senior captain Geo Baker said.
The Scarlet Knights got a team-high 25 points from junior guard Montez Mathis with Harper out with a sprained ankle. Rutgers averages 80.6 points per game on 49.8 percent shooting from the field and 39.3 percent from three-point distance. The Scarlet Knights limit the opposition to 70.9 points per game on 41.9 percent shooting from the field and 30.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Iowa Hawkeyes (8-2) Vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-1)
- When: Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021 at 2:00 PM ET
- Where: Rutgers Athletic Center, Piscataway, NJ
- TV: ESPN2
- NCAAB Odds: TBD
Expert Analysis and Prediction
Rutgers has gone 6-0 at home this season while Iowa has lost their only two games away from home. The Hawkeyes are 12-4 ATS in its last 16 games and 8-2 SU in its last 10 games. Iowa has also won six of its last eight games against Rutgers while going 7-2 ATS in their last nine games against their Big Ten rivals.
The Scarlet Knights are 4-1 ATS in their last five games and 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against teams from the Big Ten. Rutgers has gone a bankroll-boosting 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games in the month of January and has split the last four meetings against the Hawkeyes.
While I love the way Rutgers has looked this season and don’t believe in Iowa as much as some college hoops observers, I am going to back the Hawkeyes to get the big road win in this matchup as I expect Ron Harper Jr. to be at less than full strength and the Scarlet Knights to struggle to contain Luka Garza. This Saturday showdown should be a thriller, but I’ve got Iowa getting the confidence-boosting road win!
Pick: Iowa 80 Rutgers 73
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