Who’s Playing
Maine @ Rutgers
Current Records: Maine 3-7; Rutgers 5-5
What to Know
After a two-game homestand, the Maine Black Bears will be on the road. They and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will round out the year against one another at 1 p.m. ET Thursday at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they’ll have plenty of motivation to get the ‘W.’
It was close but no cigar for the Black Bears as they fell 49-47 to the Merrimack Warriors last Tuesday.
Meanwhile, RU ended up a good deal behind the Seton Hall Pirates when they played two weeks ago, losing 77-63. Guard Geo Baker wasn’t much of a difference maker for the Scarlet Knights; Baker finished with 11 points on 4-for-11 shooting in his 27 minutes on the court.
Maine have to know they’ll be fighting an uphill battle given the 24 point spread they are up against. Those who got lucky with them against the spread last week might want to hold off on placing bets this time since the squad has yet to string together back-to-back wins against the spread.
The losses put the Black Bears at 3-7 and RU at 5-5. A couple offensive stats to keep an eye on: Maine is stumbling into the contest with the 351st fewest points per game in college basketball, having accrued only 58 on average. The Scarlet Knights have experienced some struggles of their own as they have only been able to knock down 40.50% percent of their shots, which is the 30th lowest field goal percentage in college basketball. It’s possible one of these Achilles’ heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
How To Watch
When: Thursday at 1 p.m. ETWhere: Jersey Mike’s Arena — Piscataway, New JerseyTV: Big Ten NetworkOnline streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)Follow: CBS Sports AppTicket Cost: $8.81
Odds
The Scarlet Knights are a big 24-point favorite against the Black Bears, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Scarlet Knights as a 23.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -115
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Series History
Rutgers won the only game these two teams have played in the last seven years.
Dec 29, 2018 – Rutgers 70 vs. Maine 55
