Rutgers vs Nebraska Predictions Today: Best College Basketball Picks For 1/16/25
Rutgers and Nebraska clash in a Big Ten matchup on Thursday night in college basketball. Get college basketball picks for today around Rutgers vs Nebraska clashing in a conference showdown in Lincoln!
Here’s a breakdown of predictions and picks for this Big Ten matchup tipping off at 9:00PM ET on January 16, 2025!
Rutgers vs Nebraska Game Details
Date: Thursday, January 16, 2025
Time: 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT
Broadcast: FS1
Location: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, NE
Spread: Nebraska -8.5 | Total: 146.5
Rutgers vs Nebraska Preview
We’re not racing to give Rutgers’ offense a bump after beating UCLA at home on Monday. Tip your cap to the Scarlet Knights for the gritty win, but Rutgers had more than double UCLA’s number of free throw attempts (31-15).
Star freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey combined for 38 points, but the other three Scarlet Knight starters combined for 12.
Through six conference games, Rutgers ranks 16th in offensive efficiency, 16th in effective field goal shooting, 17th in two-point shooting, 17th in free throw shooting and last in assist rate in the Big Ten. Rutgers has scored an average of 68 points per game in conference play thus far.
Things aren’t going to get any easier at Pinnacle Bank Arena where Nebraska has lost one game since the beginning of last season.
Fred Hoiberg’s team has had an extra day to rest and prep for this one after getting swept by Iowa and Purdue last week. We’re expecting a good effort out of the Huskers in this one, particularly on the defensive end.
Nebraska’s defense will pack the middle of the floor and allow you to shoot three-pointers. Opposing teams have generated 42.1-percent of their points against Nebraska from the three-point line, which is the third-highest rate in the country.
Teams like Purdue (19 made three-pointers) and Iowa (17 made three-pointers) are equipped to take advantage of Nebraska’s defensive strategy. Rutgers is not.
The Scarlet Knights are shooting 31.3-percent from three-point range in conference play, and four of those six games were at home.
On the road at Ohio State and Rutgers, the Knights shot a combined 32.5-percent from beyond the arc. Nebraska’s opponents are hitting 81.6-percent of their free throws in conference play, which is ten percent above the national average. That is unlikely to continue.
Rutgers vs Nebraska Predictions
Rutgers has some new pieces on offense this season, but these teams played a pair of low-scoring grinders last year.
The first meeting at Rutgers went to overtime but was tied at 69 after regulation. The second meeting in Lincoln saw a total of 123 points. Asking them to hit the upper-140s in this matchup is a tall task.
Rutgers vs Nebraska Prediction: Under 147
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