College basketball picks: Northwestern-Rutgers prediction, odds, spread for March 5

The Northwestern Wildcats and Rutgers Scarlet Knights wrap up the Big Ten regular season as they face off on Sunday, March 5. The game will air on BTN at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

Northwestern vs. Rutgers odds

Spread: Rutgers -4.5
Over/Under: 127.5
Moneyline: Rutgers -210, Northwestern +185

Northwestern (20-10, 11-8 B1G) has now lost three games in a row in conference play and is projected to be a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats rank 50th overall at KenPom and 26th in adjusted defensive efficiency, limiting opponents to 62.6 points per game (21st in the nation).

Rutgers (18-12, 10-9 B1G) suffered a shocking loss to Minnesota in their latest game after beating Penn State. The Scarlet Knights are now in the Last Four Byes at ESPN and are projected to be a No. 11 seed in the tourney. The Knights rank 36th overall at KenPom and fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing opposing teams to score just 60.2 points per game (7th in the nation) at a 39.1% clip (8th in the nation).

The last time these two teams faced off, Rutgers won 65-62 in Evanston.

The Pick: Northwestern +4.5

This will be a heavily defensive matchup, so the under could hit here despite the low total, but I'll take the Wildcats to cover here. Despite their recent struggles, Rutgers may be shaken from an unexpected loss that sent them closer to the bubble.

  
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