Rutgers vs Iowa Odds, Pick
| Rutgers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 152.5 -110o / -110u | +240 |
| Iowa Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 152.5 -110o / -110u | -300 |
The only two winless teams in Big Ten play will meet Saturday in Iowa City with the Iowa Hawkeyes playing host to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Hawkeyes hold an 0-3 record in conference play with losses to Purdue, Michigan and Wisconsin while the Scarlet Knights are 0-2 with losses to Illinois and Ohio State.
Iowa has historically been an elite offense under Fran McCaffery, and this year's team is no different. Rutgers excels on the other end, as it is once again a great defensive team.
Both teams could really use a win here. Neither side wants to find itself alone at the bottom of the Big Ten standings one week into January, but that is what is at stake in this game.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers ranks 13th in the country in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. The Scarlet Knights have the personnel and the scheme to make lives miserable for opposing offenses, and they do so consistently. Center Clifford Omoruyi is nothing short of elite as a rim protector, and it will be hard for the Hawkeyes bigs to get going in this game.
On the offensive end, it is a much different story. Rutgers has fallen all the way down to 230th in the country in offensive efficiency. It struggles to create its own shots and can go long stretches of games without scoring.
Derek Simpson shoulders most of the burden in the backcourt, and he's coming off his best game of the season after tallying 23 points on 16 shots in a close loss to Ohio State.
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Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa's strength is its offense, where it ranks 28th in the country in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. The Hawkeyes are known for playing fast, as they rank ninth in up-tempo offense. They always have shooters, but this year's team has less elite shotmaking than previous seasons.
There is no sure-fire NBA talent on this roster — gone are the Murray twins and Luka Garza. This year's Hawkeyes rely on Tony Perkins at the guard spot, Ben Krikke as their go-to big and Payton Sandfort as a sharpshooting wing. They are all good players, but they aren't as consistent as previous key players.
Defensively, Iowa is not nearly as strong, ranking 126th in defensive efficiency.
Rutgers vs. Iowa
Betting Pick & Prediction
Iowa enters this game with a 6-1 home record, suffering just one loss to Michigan in December. Rutgers has played teams close on the road though, beating Seton Hall at its home court and taking Ohio State down to the wire. As six-point underdogs, I love the Scarlet Knights and their defense to grind out a cover here.
