:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72031254/usa_today_20099216.0.jpg "College basketball picks: Rutgers-Minnesota prediction, odds, spread for March 2")
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will hit the road for a matchup with the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday night from Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The game will get started at 7:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on FS1.
My last 25 college hoops bets hit with a 16-8-1 record, so let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.
Rutgers vs. Minnesota odds
Spread: Rutgers -8.5
Over/Under: 127.5
Moneyline: Rutgers -425, Minnesota +340
Rutgers (18-11, 10-8 Big Ten) followed a three-game losing streak with wins in two of his last three matchups including a 59-56 road victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions. Derek Simpson came off the bench to score a team-high 16 points with six rebounds in the win. The Scarlet Knights rate 31st in KenPom with a defense that is third in adjusted efficiency, but the offense is rated 168th.
Minnesota (7-20, 1-16 Big Ten) dropped 12 games in a row as it returns home following three straight road games. The Gophers lost to the Nebraska Cornhuskers 78-67 as Dawson Garcia scored 11 points with 14 rebounds. Braeden Carrington left the game with a knee injury but returned to practice and is expected to play. Minnesota rates 224th in KenPom including 274th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 171st defensively.
The Pick: Under 127.5
Rutgers is as all-defense, no-offense as it gets, and Minnesota is bad at everything, though its offense is especially terrible. Both teams play at a pace slower than the majority of college basketball teams this season. The Scarlet Knights rate 260th in adjusted tempo and the Gophers are 278th in that category. With bad offenses and limited possessions, the total will fall below this number.