Big Ten Basketball Resumes with Northwestern vs Rutgers Showdown

Game outlook

On Thursday night, Big Ten basketball will resume with a matchup between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Northwestern, with a record of 17-7 and 8-5 in the Big Ten, recently secured a home victory against Penn State by a score of 68-63, although they were unable to cover the spread as 7.5-point favorites. Meanwhile, Rutgers, currently holding a record of 13-10 and 5-7 in the Big Ten, surprised many with an upset win over #11 ranked Wisconsin, emerging victorious by a score of 78-56 and covering as 3.5-point underdogs. With this being the only meeting between the two teams this season, it is worth noting that they both won their respective away games against each other last season. The game is set to take place at 6:30 EST at Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey, and can be viewed on the Big Ten Network. Rutgers has been established as the early betting favorite at -2.5, with the line currently standing at Rutgers -3.5.

Betting Odds

Moneyline: Wildcats +140 | Scarlet Knights -165

Spread: Wildcats +3.5 (-110) | Scarlet Knights -3.5 (-110)

Total: Over/Under 131 (-110)

Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Rutgers will win straight-up is 62%.

Northwestern Wildcats

The Big Ten conference is having a successful season, although it is not considered the strongest conference in the nation. According to Bracketology, the Big 12 and SEC are projected to have nine teams each in the NCAA Tournament, while the Big Ten is expected to have six. However, Northwestern is currently performing well within the conference, holding the 4th spot with an 15-6 record. In their last game, all five starters scored double figures, with guard Boo Buie leading the team with 15 points in a win against PSU. Buie is the team's leading scorer, averaging 18.8 points per game, which ranks 5th in the Big Ten. He has made 54 three-pointers on a 40.3% shooting percentage from deep. Buie has scored at least 15 points in his last six games, including a season-high of 29 against Illinois. Another key player for Northwestern is Brooks Barnhizer, a 6'6 wing who contributes 14.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Northwestern's top four scorers predominantly play on the perimeter, including 6'4 senior guard Ryan Langborg, who adds 12.0 points per game, and 6'3 senior shooter Ty Berry, who contributes 11.6 points per game and has made 55 three-pointers this season. Defensively, Northwestern ranks 79th in efficiency, while offensively, they rank 34th. The team prefers a slow-paced game, ranking 327th in tempo. In terms of injury, guard Ty Berry is currently listed as questionable due to a knee issue. Overall, Northwestern is projected to be a 9-seed in the NCAA Tournament according to Bracketology. In terms of statistics, the Wildcats are ranked 147th in offense, scoring an average of 75.22 points per game, and 126th in defense, allowing an average of 70.04 points against them. Offensively, they have a field goal percentage of 47.27% (ranking 53rd), a free throw percentage of 72.07% (ranking 158th), and a three-point percentage of 39.56% (ranking 5th). They average 30.39 rebounds per game (ranking 354th), 16.30 offensive assists, and 9.22 turnovers per game (ranking 32nd and 8th, respectively). Defensively, Next man up mentality 💪 First career start for No. 2️⃣ @N_Martinelli1 pic.twitter.com/3jJcRsBMmi