The ninth-ranked Maryland Terrapins look to continue their home dominance when they host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a key Big Ten Conference matchup on Tuesday. The Terrapins (17-4, 7-3), who have won four in a row and seven of nine, are 12-0 at home this season and 27-3 since the start of last year, while the Scarlet Knights (16-6, 7-4) are 2-2 against ranked opponents this season.
The game will tip off at 7 p.m. ET. Rutgers is looking for its first winning season since 2005-06 and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1990-91. The Terrapins are 7.5-point favorites in the latest Rutgers vs. Maryland odds, while the over-under is 131 after climbing as high as 131.5. Before making any Maryland vs. Rutgers picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has crushed its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread the past three years, returning $2,770 to $100 players. It also enters Week 14 of the 2019-20 season on a 33-15 run on all top-rated college basketball picks. Anybody who followed it during that span has seen some huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Maryland vs. Rutgers. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for Rutgers vs. Maryland:
- Maryland vs. Rutgers spread: Maryland -7.5
- Maryland vs. Rutgers over-under: 131 points
- Maryland vs. Rutgers money line: Rutgers +270, Maryland -340
- RUT: 12th in the country in total rebounds at 40.9 per game
- MD: Averaging 72.3 points per game
Why Maryland can cover
Maryland has dominated the Scarlet Knights since both joined the Big Ten Conference and has won seven straight games in the series. The Terps have generated plenty of success over the years and, since 1993-94, they have qualified for the NCAA Tournament 18 times, winning the 2001-02 national championship. In nine seasons under coach Mark Turgeon, Maryland is 197-96 (.672) with four NCAA Tournament appearances.
Senior Anthony Cowan Jr. was named Big Ten Player of the Week after posting a career-best 31-point, six-rebound, six-assist outburst in the Terps' win over Iowa. Cowan has scored at least 16 points in 12 of his last 17 games and leads the Big Ten in free throws made with 107. He is the first Terrapin to record multiple 30-point games in a season since 2011-12.
Why Rutgers can cover
Even so, the Terrapins aren't a lock to cover the Maryland vs. Rutgers spread. That's because the Scarlet Knights have been on a tear, winning 10 of their last 13 and are receiving votes in both national polls. Rutgers is also among the nation's best in a number of categories, including 12th in rebounding (40.9), 14th in field-goal percentage defense (38.0), 16th in scoring defense (61.1) and 18th in rebound margin (plus-7.1).
Forward Akwasi Yeboah is one of 19 active NCAA players with 1,500 points and 600 rebounds, ranking 50th in career points at 1,535 and 56th in rebounds at 666. Yeboah is second on the team, averaging 9.9 points per game and is also averaging 4.5 rebounds. He has been red hot over the past four games, averaging 14.5 points, including a 20-point performance in a 75-72 win over Nebraska on Jan. 25.
How to make Maryland vs. Rutgers picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total. In fact, it says Rutgers sophomore guard-forward Ron Harper Jr. will score 2.2 fewer points than his average, while Maryland sophomore guard Aaron Wiggins will score more than a point less than his. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Rutgers vs. Maryland? And which side of the spread can you bank on in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Maryland vs. Rutgers spread to jump on Tuesday, all from the advanced model that is up more than $2,700 on its college basketball picks the last three years, and find out.
