The Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-6 overall, 4-6 Big Ten) visit the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (10-6, 6-6) for a Thursday evening Big Ten battle tipping off at 9 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Minnesota-Rutgers college basketball odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Minnesota at Rutgers: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:20 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Minnesota +185 (bet $100 to win $185) | Rutgers -225 (bet $225 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Minnesota +5.5 (-115) | Rutgers -5.5 (-105)
- Over/Under: 139.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Minnesota at Rutgers: Three things to know
- The Golden Gophers fell out of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll (power by USA TODAY Sports) after an 81-62 road loss to Purdue Saturday. That loss followed a Jan. 23 setback against Maryland and is part of an even larger trend. Since defeating Ohio State Jan. 3, Minnesota has dropped four out of five games. Over that stretch, the Gophers have shot just 36.8% from the floor and 27.5% from 3-point range.
- The Scarlet Knights head into this tilt on a three-game win streak, Rutgers has forced 48 turnovers in that stretch. RU has won the turnover exchange in 10 of its last 12 games. The Knights lead the Big Ten in steals at 8.4 per game.
- Rutgers G Jacob Young is shooting 54.1% from the floor — including a 42.9% mark from 3-point-land — over his last six games. On the season, Young is Rutgers’ second-leading scorer, at 14.6 points per game. He’s RU’s leading man in steals, with 1.8 thefts per contest.
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Minnesota at Rutgers: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Rutgers 71, Minnesota 70
Money line (ML)
The start-and-stop nature of the COVID-19-pocked schedules has affected teams in different ways. The Gophers are playing a midweek game for the first time since Jan. 6. A little game-to-game rhythm could perhaps bolster the visitors here. A Minnesota win isn’t likely, but the price on a road upset is attractive enough to warrant a play on the visiting five.
TAKE MINNESOTA (+185).
Against the spread (ATS)
The Gophers are a higher-tempo team than most: Rutgers is 2-4 straight up and 2-4 ATS over its last six games against foes that fit that profile. Look for enough hidden Minnesota advantage at the foul line and in the turnover exchange that the Gophers can stay within one possession at the end.
TAKE MINNESOTA +5.5 (-115).
Over/Under (O/U)
STEER CLEAR of what looks like a solid total.
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