6:30 p.m. ET – Indiana vs. Rutgers (-3) O/U: 130.5
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | +3 (-110) | +135 | O 130½ (-110) |
| Rutgers | -3 (-110) | -160 | U 130½ (-110) |
The 12-14 No. 10 seed Hoosiers take on the 14-10 No. 7 seed Scarlet Knights Thursday evening in the second round of the Big Ten conference tournament. Indiana saw its NCAA tournament hopes disappear down the stretch of the regular season, losing its final five games. They last played on Saturday, losing to in-state rival Purdue 67-58. Rutgers closed out its regular season with a 77-70 overtime win at Minnesota, virtually locking up a bid to the Big Dance.
Indiana is led by star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, who ranks fourth in the Big Ten in scoring with an average of 19.1 points per game while also collecting nine rebounds per contest. The Hoosiers forward struggled down the stretch, averaging 10.3 points and 5.3 rebounds over the final three games of the regular season, all IU losses. Jackson-Davis was held to 13 points on 40- percent shooting in the first game against the Scarlet Knights, but bounced back with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the second meeting.
Rutgers’ leading scorer is guard Ron Harper Jr. with 15.3 points per game. Harper averaged 17.5 points and 10 rebounds in the two matchups against the Hoosiers this season. Indiana has lost its drive, not only losing five in a row, but failing to cover the spread in each of those games. The Hoosiers must win arguably the most difficult conference tournament in the country to keep their season alive and it does not appear they even believe they can do it.
Back the short favorite in the Scarlet Knights and do not be shocked if they make a deep run in the conference tournament.
*Odds courtesy of MyBookie
