Rutgers vs. Maryland Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Tuesday, Feb. 6 (Back the Scarlet Knights)
Two of the top defenses and worst offenses in the Big 10 clash on Tuesday in College Park. Rutgers has lost four of its last six games, but is coming off its first road conference victory of the season after taking out Michigan over the weekend, 69-59. They’ll try to keep that momentum on the road against Maryland as big underdogs.
Maryland had an impressive road victory over Iowa (69-67) before returning home and crushing Nebraska by 22. Maryland fell on the road Saturday to Michigan State (63-54) and will now be laying a big number against the lowly Scarlet Knights. Can they win with margin?
Here’s the betting preview for Tuesday’s Big 10 battle with a best bet.
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Rutgers vs. Maryland odds, spread and total
Rutgers vs. Maryland betting trends
- Rutgers is 10-11 ATS this season
- Maryland is 9-13 ATS this season
- Rutgers is 4-5 ATS as an underdog this season
- Maryland is 5-7 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 6-15 in Rutgers games this season
- The OVER is 7-15 in Maryland games this season
Rutgers vs. Maryland how to watch
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 6
- Game time: 6:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: Xfinity Center
- How to watch (TV): Big 10 Network
- Rutgers record: 11-10 (3-7 Big 10)
- Maryland record: 13-9 (5-6 Big 10)
Rutgers vs. Maryland key players to watch
Rutgers
Derek Simpson: Rutgers has had a different leading scorer in four consecutive games, which isn’t saying much on a lackluster Scarlet Knights’ offense. Simpson, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, averages 9.8 points per game and is coming off his best all-around performance of the season. Simpson had 19 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in Saturday’s win over Michigan.
Maryland
Julian Reese: The 6-foot-9 junior forward averages 13.1 points per game but he’s been most valuable to the Terrapins on the defensive side. Reese is second in the Big 10 in rebounding (9.7 per game) and fourth in blocks (2.2). Reese had a string of seven consecutive games with over double-digit points snapped in the loss to Michigan State, scoring just 2 points on a pair of free throws in 14 minutes.
Rutgers vs. Maryland prediction and pick
Hard to be shocked by the low total in this matchup.
Rutgers has the worst scoring offense in the Big 10 (66.9 points per game) and Maryland’s is second-worst (69.5). On the defensive side, Maryland is No. 1 in the conference in scoring (63.4 points per game) and Rutgers is third (66).
Both teams are top-10 in KenPom in defensive efficiency, with Rutgers at No. 3 and Maryland at No. 6. For the Scarlet Knights, they are top-50 in the nation in defending both 3-point and 2-point shots. Maryland’s defense is No. 8 defending shots from inside the arc, No. 15 in effective field goal percentage.
Both of these teams are dreadful in perimeter shooting, with Rutgers at No. 350 in 3-point percentage and Maryland No. 333. Rutgers does have an advantage in ball security. Rutgers’ offense is No. 146 in turnover percentage and can protect the rock against a Maryland defense that is top-100 in steals. On the other side, Rutgers’ defense lives off turnovers (No. 18) and Maryland coughs up possession at an 18% rate, which is No. 224 in that nation.
With an extremely low total and two sub-par offenses, the points just become more valuable with Rutgers. Maryland is just 5-7 ATS as a favorite this season and they haven’t been this big of a favorite since conference play began. Take the points with Rutgers in a projected rock fight.
Pick: Rutgers +8
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.