The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will try to back up their win over No. 1 Purdue when they host the Maryland Terrapins on Thursday night. Rutgers came up with a huge 3-pointer down the stretch of its 65-64 win over the top-ranked Boilermakers on Monday. Maryland is looking to bounce back from its worst showing of the season after getting crushed by Michigan in an 81-46 final on Sunday.
Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. The Scarlet Knights are favored by 5.5 points in the latest Maryland vs. Rutgers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 130.5. Before entering any Rutgers vs. Maryland picks, you’ll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 9 of the season 30-16 on all top-rated college basketball picks, returning more than $800 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Maryland vs. Rutgers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for Maryland vs. Rutgers:
- Maryland vs. Rutgers spread: Rutgers -5.5
- Maryland vs. Rutgers over/under: 130.5 points
- Maryland vs. Rutgers picks: See picks here
Why Rutgers can cover
Rutgers is suddenly one of the hottest teams in the conference, capping its four-game winning streak with a huge upset at No. 1 Purdue on Monday night. The Scarlet Knights used a go-ahead 3-pointer from Cam Spencer with 13.3 seconds remaining to pull off the stunner over the top-ranked team in the country. Spencer, a graduate transfer from Loyola (Maryland), scored 14 points and played a role in the team’s strong defensive effort.
The Scarlet Knights also beat then-No. 10 Indiana in early December, so they have proven themselves against some of the top teams in the Big Ten. Junior center Clifford Omoruyi leads Rutgers with 14.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, while Spencer is adding 12.9 points. Rutgers has covered the spread in six of its last seven games, while Maryland has only covered twice in its last six games.
Why Maryland can cover
Maryland has had an extra day to rest following its loss to Michigan on Sunday, whereas Rutgers is going to have a tough time recovering emotionally from a road win over the top team in the country. The Terrapins have taken down multiple quality opponents this season as well, beating Saint Louis, Miami and then-No. 16 Illinois. They also played close games against Wisconsin and then-No. 7 Tennessee away from home, so they are prepared for this matchup.
Senior guard Jahmir Young leads Maryland with 14.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Senior forward Donta Scott (12.6), senior guard Hakim Hart (12.4) and sophomore forward Julian Reese (10.2) are all scoring in double figures as well. They have won 10 of the last 13 meetings between these teams, so they will be feeling good about their chances of springing an upset on Thursday.
How to make Maryland vs. Rutgers picks
The model has simulated Rutgers vs. Maryland 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over on the total, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Maryland vs. Rutgers? And which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is 30-16 on its top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.
