The Rutgers Scarlet Knights take on the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, IL. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
Northwestern is favored by 7 points on the spread with a moneyline of -310. The total is set at 139 points.
Here’s my Rutgers vs. Northwestern predictions and college basketball picks for January 29, 2025.
Rutgers vs Northwestern Prediction
My Pick: Rutgers +7.5 (Play to +6)
My Rutgers vs Northwestern best bet is on the Scarlet Knights spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Rutgers vs Northwestern Odds, Lines, Pick
| Rutgers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -105 | 139 -110o / -110u | +250 |
| Northwestern Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -115 | 139 -110o / -110u | -310 |
- Rutgers vs Northwestern spread: Northwestern -7
- Rutgers vs Northwestern over/under: 139 points
- Rutgers vs Northwestern moneyline: Northwestern -310, Rutgers +250
- Rutgers vs Northwestern best bet: Rutgers +7.5 (Play to +6)
My Rutgers vs Northwestern College Basketball Betting Preview
Editor's Note: Dylan Harper (ankle) is out.
Rutgers has been a giant disappointment this season, there’s no doubt about that.
But this team still has two of the most talented players in the country in Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper and one of the best coaches in Steve Pikiell.
At their best, the Scarlet Knights can compete with anyone, as wins against UCLA and at Nebraska — plus close contests versus Alabama and Texas A&M — show.
Northwestern might be the better team right now, but Rutgers is more talented and more than capable of hanging around within two possessions.
It should come as no surprise that Rutgers relies on its talented twosome to score buckets. Rutgers ranks among the nation’s leaders in possessions used in isolation. That’s usually a bad thing, but when the two guys using those possessions are top-five picks in this summer’s NBA draft, you can make it work.
Northwestern’s defense isn’t quite up to its usual standard this season, and its lack of athleticism on the perimeter has left it susceptible to being beaten off the dribble in one-on-one situations. Bailey and Harper should have no trouble getting to spots and creating open looks for themselves and their teammates.
And of course, as is tradition with a Pikiell squad, this Rutgers team hits the offensive glass hard. The Scarlet Knights have been the Big Ten’s fourth-best offensive rebounding team this season, while Northwestern ranks second-to-last in defensive rebounding rate.
Rutgers’ defense has been its weaker side this season, by far the weakest in the Pikiell era. But Northwestern isn’t a team that’s going to exploit that weakness, as it's the 15th-best offensive squad in the Big Ten and 79th in the nation.
Like Rutgers, the the Wildcats rely on two primary scorers — Brooks Barnhizer and Nick Martinelli — to create offense and score in isolation.
Rutgers has plenty of perimeter size to match up with Northwestern’s tough, scrappy duo and should be able to muck it up enough on this end to stay close.
