Wisconsin Badgers vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/6/25

Planning on watching today’s Badgers and Scarlet Knights game? Catch the action at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, NJ, as the Scarlet Knights hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on FS1. Wisconsin is favored by -1.5 in this Big Ten conference contest against Rutgers. The game’s over/under currently sits at 156.5 points.

WISCONSIN BADGERS VS RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Rutgers Scarlet Knights +1.5

This game will be played at Jersey Mike’s Arena at 7:00 ET on Monday, January 6th.

WHY BET THE RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Scarlet Knights.
• Not only will Rutgers pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +1.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 156.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.

Will Wisconsin Secure A Victory as Road Favorites?

Wisconsin improved to 11-3 on the season with a dominant 116-85 win over Iowa on Friday, January 3rd. Playing at home, the Badgers were -6.5 favorites and covered the spread with ease. The game’s total points reached 201, surpassing the O/U line of 162.5.

After leading 54-43 at halftime, Wisconsin poured in 62 points in the 2nd half while holding Iowa to 42, showcasing their offensive firepower and defensive adjustments.

Wisconsin’s offense was on fire in their last game, putting up 116 points with a 64.5% shooting percentage from the field. They were especially deadly from beyond the arc, hitting 21 of 31 threes for a 67.7% rate, contributing to an effective field goal percentage of 80.6%. The Badgers also connected on 88.2% of their free throws and dished out 26 assists.

John Blackwell led the way with 32 points and 8 rebounds, hitting 6 of 10 threes. Drew Thelwell added 25 points, shooting 64.3% from the field and 60% from deep. Nolan Winter contributed 18 points and 8 rebounds, while Josh Dix chipped in 16 points, making 70% of his shots.

Wisconsin’s defense struggled in their previous game, giving up 85 points while allowing the opposing team to shoot 64% from the field. The Badgers couldn’t contain the three-point line, where their opponents hit 21 of 31 attempts, a 67% success rate.

From the free-throw line, Wisconsin’s opponents were 15 of 17, shooting 88%. The Badgers also allowed 8 offensive rebounds in the game.

Do the Scarlet Knights Stand a Chance at Home?

Rutgers fell to 8-6 on the season after an 84-74 road loss to Indiana on Thursday. The Scarlet Knights entered the game as +7.5 point underdogs and didn’t cover the spread. The total points of 158 exceeded the O/U line of 153.5.

Trailing 41-34 at halftime, Rutgers scored 40 points in the 2nd half but allowed 43, leading to the 10-point loss.

In their last game, Rutgers put up 74 points, shooting 44.3% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 49.2%, with a two-point shooting mark of 52.5% (21/40) and a three-point percentage of 28.6% (6/21). They struggled at the free-throw line, hitting just 60.9% of their attempts (14/23), and managed only 7 offensive rebounds and 7 assists as a team.

Ace Bailey was the standout performer, scoring 39 points and grabbing 8 rebounds, shooting 55.2% overall and 50.0% from three (4/8). Myles Rice added 21 points and 3 assists, while Oumar Ballo contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 53.8% from the field.

Even though Rutgers gave up 84 points, their defense held the opposing team to just 38% shooting from the field. The Scarlet Knights limited them to 35% on two-point attempts, with the other team making 16 of 45 shots inside the arc.

However, Rutgers struggled to contain the three-point line, where the other team shot 44%, hitting 12 of 27 attempts. They also sent the opposition to the free-throw line 25 times, where they converted 16 for 64%. The Scarlet Knights allowed 18 offensive rebounds.