The Minnesota Golden Gophers have had a completely forgettable season, sitting at 7-13 overall and 1-9 in Big Ten play.
Tonight, they head to New Jersey to take on a 14-7 Rutgers team that’s in a battle for the No. 2 spot in the conference. Illinois holds that spot for the time being, sitting at 7-4 in conference play, one more win than the Scarlet Knights.
Let’s take a look at the betting odds for the game and then I’ll break down my best bet.
Minnesota vs. Rutgers odds, spread, and total
Minnesota vs. Rutgers prediction and pick
Sure, the records between these two teams are wildly different, but the statistics tell a different story. Minnesota has struggled in the shooting department this season, ranking 295th in effective field goal percentage, but Rutgers hardly ranks above them, coming in at 289th.
The Golden Gophers have also shot better on the road this season, with their effective field goal percentage increasing by 1.3% on the road compared to at home.
The big thing that’s going to make a difference tonight is Minnesota’s surprisingly good interior defense. Rutgers ranks 31st in two-point shot rate, with 70.1% of its shots coming down low.
The Golden Gophers have kept teams to shooting only 46.4% from two-point range, which ranks 54th in the country. Once again, this is another area that they actually perform better in on the road, with their opponents two-point field goal percentage dropping 1.4% on the road compared to at home.
Rutgers is the rightful favorite, but I think this spread is way too big. Give me the points with Minnesota.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
