Free College Basketball Picks and Predictions on this First Round NCAA Tournament game between Rutgers vs Clemson. This game is set to tipoff Friday, March 19th, 2021 at 9:20pm et at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Draftkings College Basketball odds have Rutgers listed as a -1.5 point favorites and the total at 126 points.
The betting public currently have 68% of their money behind the Clemson Tigers as the underdog.
Rutgers comes into this game getting the 10th seed at 15-11 overall, including 10-10 in conference play, but just 4-6 on the road. They got destroyed 90-68 in the Big Ten Quarterfinals game against Illinois. In that matchup, the Scarlet Knights shot 46% from the field, but just 2 of 11 from 3-point range. The story of that game was how they got dominated on the boards 44-19. That type of rebound differential shouldn’t be an issue for Rutgers in this matchup against Clemson and it will most likely come down to who steps up their performance in the last couple minutes. Ron Harper Jr could be one of those guys that will step it up. He currently leads this Rutgers team, averaging 15.4 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Clemson is a perfect 11-0 when it scores at least 66 points, so the key for Rutgers will be their defense and trying to hold them under that 66 point mark. On the road this season, the Scarlet Knights score an average of 65 points per game while giving up an average of 70 points per game on defense.
Rutgers is 4-16 straight up in their last 20 games against an opponent in the ACC and the total has gone under in 12 of the Scarlet Knights last 18 games.
Clemson comes into this game getting the 7th seed at 16-7 overall, 10-6 in conference play, but just 2-5 on the road this season. The Tigers last played over a week ago in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals where they got upset by a short handed Miami Hurricanes team 67-64.
Clemson went an impressive 8 of 11 from 3-point land in the first half and finished 12 of 23, but let the Hurricanes shoot almost 54% from the field which kept them in the game throughout and resulted in a victory.
For this matchup, Clemson will need to lockdown Rutgers guard, Jacob Young who is part of 42% of all Scarlet Knights field goals over the last three games.
The Tigers on the road this season put up an average of 62 points per game and have a top 25 defense that gives up an average of 64.6 points per game.
Clemson is 5-10 against the spread in their last 15 games against an opponent in the Big Ten Conference and 7 of the Tigers last 11 road games have gone over the total.
In this Rutgers vs Clemson March Madness Tournament game, we’re rolling with Clemson Team Total to go over the 28.5 points at the -120 price.
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