Conference tournament action is now taking place in the sport of college basketball, and there are big games throughout the day. The Big Ten Tournament kicks off on Wednesday, and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights are set to take on the Maryland Terrapins.
Rutgers comes into this game having lost three straight games, and they were not getting beat by the best teams in the league. The Scarlet Knights are sitting at 15-16 overall this season, and they weren’t even able to win games on their home floor.
Maryland was supposed to compete for a league title this season, but things fell apart for this team early on in the season. The Terrapins have also lost three straight games, but they were dealing with some of the better teams in the league.
The Maryland Terrapins are 3.5-point betting favorites over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the Big Ten Tournament opener.
Rutgers Not Making Shots
The overall shooting numbers for Rutgers have not been good all season long as this team is shooting less than 40%. Rutgers has failed to find anyone that can consistently make shots from the perimeter, and that has made them too easy to defend.
Clifford Omoruyi is leading the way on offense this season, but he is scoring just 10.7 points per game. Omoruyi is facing a ton of size in this game, and he will need some help from his teammates in this one.
Rutgers has remained a solid defensive team this season as they are allowing just 66 points per game. The Scarlet Knights can get shots, but at some point they have to score.
Young Needs Some Help
The Maryland Terrapins have a superstar talent in Jahmir Young, but he needs some help from his teammates at this point of the season. Young is scoring over 20 points per game this season, and he will find a way to step up in this game.
Maryland hasn’t put up very good offensive numbers this season either, but they have at least been able to make shots from the perimeter. The Terrapins are comfortable slowing things down, and that will be something to watch in this game.
Getting stops is another issue that faces Maryland at times this season, and they will need to be solid on defense if they want to win this game.
Terrapins Take Control
It was a very difficult and disappointing season for both Rutgers and Maryland, but there is an opportunity for each team to go on a run. The overall season stats are pretty similar for each team, but Rutgers just doesn’t have a star to set the tone.
Maryland has the ability to get hot in a hurry on offense, and that is going to give them an edge late in this matchup. Rutgers just hasn’t been a good offensive team all season long, and they will struggle to put points on the board in this game.
Betting on the Maryland Terrapins at -3.5 is the way to go in this game as they will get past Rutgers and advance in the Big Ten Tournament.
