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The 8-seed Hofstra Pride (24-9) visit the 1-seed Rutgers Scarlet Knights (19-14) on Tuesday in the 1st round of the National Invitational Tournament. Tip from Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J., is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPNU). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Hofstra vs. Rutgers odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Hofstra fell 79-73 in overtime to UNC Wilmington on March 6, losing outright as a 7-point favorite in the CAA Tournament semifinal. It is 9-1 in its last 10 games and is 8-2 against the spread (ATS) in that span. The Pride wrapped up the season 21-11 ATS.
Rutgers fell 70-65 against Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal but covered as a 6.5-point underdog. It is just 3-7 in its last 10 games and is 3-6-1 ATS in that span. The Scarlet Knights are 19-13-1 ATS on the season.
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Hofstra at Rutgers odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:26 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Hofstra +255 (bet $100 to win $255) | Rutgers -350 (bet $350 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Hofstra +7.5 (-110) | Rutgers -7.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 136.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Hofstra at Rutgers picks and predictions
Prediction
Rutgers 69, Hofstra 64
Moneyline
PASS.
Rutgers (-350) is the better team here and should advance, but you should not risk 3 1/2 times your potential return on a moneyline wager — especially in a game that might be closer than people would like.
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Against the spread
LEAN HOFSTRA +7.5 (-110).
While Rutgers plays against much more fierce competition in the Big Ten, Hofstra had an impressive end to its season leading up to this game. It is 9-1 in its last 10 games and 8-2 ATS in that span.
The Pride are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss, 4-1 ATS in their last 5 against a team with a winning outright record and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. They are also 1-0 in the only game they played this season as 7.5-9.5-point underdogs while Rutgers is 1-2 ATS in games as a 7.5-9.5-point favorite.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 136.5 (-110).
Both teams’ strength in this matchup is their defense which will slow down the pace and put points at a premium.
The Under is 4-1 in the Pride’s last 5 road games against a team with a winning home record and 4-2 in its last 6 games overall. For the Scarlet Knights, the Under is 4-0 in their last 4 games following a loss, 13-3 in their last 16 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600, 8-3 in their last 11 overall and 5-2 in their last 7 Tuesday games.
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