The 2019 Big Ten Tournament tips off Wednesday when the Rutgers Scarlet Knights face the Nebraska Cornhuskers in an opening-round game at 6:30 p.m. ET from Chicago. The Knights (14-16) and Huskers (16-15) need at least one victory to ensure an above-.500 record and any postseason berth. Oddsmakers list the Cornhuskers as 1.5-point favorites, while the over-under for total points scored is 137.5 in the latest Nebraska vs. Rutgers odds. Before you make any Nebraska vs. Rutgers picks, you'll want to see the 2019 Big Ten Tournament predictions from SportsLine's proven model.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has raked in the winnings for those following its picks. Over the past two years, the SportsLine Projection Model has returned over $4,000 to $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks. It also entered Conference Championship Week on a strong 11-5 run on all top-rated college basketball picks. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now it has analyzed all relevant data and crunched the numbers for Nebraska vs. Rutgers. We can tell you it's leaning under, but it also has a strong point-spread pick that hits in well over 60 percent of simulations. That one is only available at SportsLine.
The model knows Montez Mathis had career-highs with 20 points and nine rebounds when Rutgers beat Nebraska 76-69 in January. That was the second loss for the Huskers in a brutal 3-11 finish to the season. The wins aren't materializing as much as hoped, but Rutgers is a solid 6-1-1 against the spread in its past eight games and has covered in six of its past seven matchups at neutral sites.
Nebraska's depth is absent since top reserve guards Amir Harris (knee) and Thomas Allen (ankle) won't play, leaving the Huskers with just six scholarship players and two walk-ons. Nebraska is a lackluster 2-5 against the spread as a favorite outside of Lincoln and 5-9 against the spread away from home.
But just because the Scarlet Knights are the higher seed and beat the Huskers earlier this year doesn't mean they can cover the Nebraska vs. Rutgers spread on Wednesday.
After a 13-4 start to the season, Nebraska floundered down the stretch, but ended on a high note with a 93-91 overtime win over Iowa. Nebraska has been solid against the spread in meetings against Rutgers, covering six of the past eight times.
Nebraska still has its go-to players, led by James Palmer Jr. (19.1 ppg). The 6-7 junior scored 30 points in a loss at Michigan State on March 5 and had 27 points and six assists against Iowa. Nebraska averages four more points per game than Rutgers, while allowing two fewer points.
Experience is definitely on the side of Huskers too, who have three senior starters. That may be a key in this tournament format against a Rutgers team with just one senior, ranking 318th nationally in roster experience.
Who wins Rutgers vs. Nebraska? And which side of the spread hits in well over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Rutgers vs. Nebraska spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed college hoops, and find out.
