Pirates vs. Scarlet Knights Prediction
The 22nd-ranked Seton Hall Pirates are coming off a loss going into this afternoon’s contest versus the host Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the Garden State Hardwood Classic. Can Seton Hall cover against the upset-minded opposition?
Game Snapshot
713 Seton Hall Pirates at 714 Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Rutgers Athletic Center at 4PM ET
TV: BTN
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According to oddsmakers, the Pirates are a 2.5-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under is set at 141 points. As of Saturday morning, 59 percent of public bets are being placed on visiting Seton Hall. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest info.
Pirates stumble at Cyclones
Seton Hall lost by a score of 76-66 Sunday at Iowa State to drop to 6-3 overall and 1-1 on the road. The Pirates were outscored 48-40 in the second half of the defeat. Myles Powell paced Seton Hall with 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting including 4-of-11 from 3-point distance plus 1-of-2 at the free throw line. He also recorded eight rebounds, four steals and three assists. Quincy McKnight added nine points, three dimes and three steals. Sandro Mamukelashvili, one of the Pirates’ top players, was injured after playing five minutes and will miss the mess two months.
Scarlet Knights bounce Badgers
Rutgers secured a 72-65 home win Wednesday night over Wisconsin to move to 7-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten Conference. The Scarlet Knights outscored the Badgers 40-32 in the second half to pull away. Geo Baker led Rutgers with 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting including 2-of-6 from 3-point distance plus 2-of-3 at the charity stripe. He also registered four assists and three steals. Myles Johnson added 12 points and seven boards.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Seton Hall
The Pirates are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as a favorite. Seton Hall is 5-2 ATS in its last seven road games.
Rutgers
The home team is 6-21 ATS in the last 27 meetings. The Scarlet Knights are 3-0-1 ATS in their last four home games.
Prediction:
While the Pirates are without a top player, subscribing to the Ewing Theory here might not be the worst idea. I’m definitely not sold on Rutgers as it hasn’t done much aside from beating a down Wisconsin squad, while the Pirates still have top scorer Powell and a solid surrounding group. Seton Hall should be up for this contest and the road team has fared well in this series. I’m taking the slight favorites here.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL DAILY PREDICTION: SETON HALL PIRATES -2.5