Two teams yet to win a game in the new year meet up in Piscataway, New Jersey on Monday evening as Rutgers (8-8) hosts UCLA (11-5) in a Big Ten clash.
Both the visiting Bruins and the host Scarlet Knights have lost three straight and 4-of-5. The Bruins started the season 11-2 and were ranked 22nd in this past week's poll, but three straight losses, including blowout defeats at home to Michigan and on the road at Maryland, have the Bruins teetering on the March Madness bubble with a 2-3 record in the Big Ten.
Rutgers is in even worse shape. Despite touting two of the nation's top freshmen in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, the team lost by double digits at home to Purdue (68-50) and Wisconsin (75-63), their first to setbacks at Jersey Mike's Arena this season.
UCLA is 3-9 in its last 12 January contests, while the Scarlet Knights have lost six straight January games and it is fair to say both teams desperately need a win.
Monday's contest will be a good gauge of how the Bruins plan to respond to coach Mick Cronin's recent antics.
Following the 94-75 loss at home to Michigan, Cronin called his team "soft" and "delusional." Then, with 5 minutes, 11 seconds left to play at Maryland, Cronin was ejected in an 18-point loss to the Terrapins.
The Bruins are 9-7 against the spread this season, but just 1-4 ATS in its last five contests, 1-2 ATS away, and 1-7 against the spread in their last eight Big Ten matchups.
Bear in mind, this is a squad that has also knocked off ranked Oregon and Gonzaga squads. Forward Tyler Bilodeau, who led UCLA with 18 points against Maryland and added 17 points against Michigan, leads the team with 14.9 points per game.
Eric Dailey Jr (11.3 ppg), and Sebastian Mack (9.8) are the only other Bruins averaging in double figures, with Mack also scoring 17 against the Wolverines. Guard Kobe Johnson leads UCLA with 5.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per.
Cronin, in his sixth year, has led the Bruins to three Sweet 16 appearances, including one Final Four berth, but dropped to just 16-17 last season.
Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell, in his ninth year, led the Scarlet Knights to back-to-back NCAA tournament berths after a 29-year absence, but the team has missed the postseason each of the past two seasons.
Rutgers has been led all season by the high-flying Harper and Bailey. Harper leads the team with 20.1 points and 4.4 assists per game, but the guard, plagued by flu-like symptoms, has struggled during this three-game losing streak. He had six points in the loss to the Boilermakers, zero in just 15 minutes of play against the Badgers, and did not play in a 10-point loss at Bloomington, Indiana to the Hoosiers.
Fellow frosh phenom Bailey is second on the team with 18.9 points per game and leads the Scarlet Knights with 7.6 rebounds per. He led the team with 17 against Purdue and a career-high 39 against Indiana, but only had nine in the loss to Wisconsin.
Tyson Acuff, who averages just 4.6 points per game, has stepped up off the bench for Rutgers, scoring 10 against Purdue and leading the team with 17 points against Wisconsin. The losses to the Boilermakers and the Badgers are the first two at home this season for Rutgers.
The Scarlet Knights are 5-11 against the spread this season, including 1-5 ATS in their last six games, and 3-6 ATS at home. The team is just 1-8 against the spread in its last nine Big Ten contests, and has not won a game this season as the underdog, going 0-6 straight up.
Expect the Bruins to respond to Cronin's recent badgering and both win the game and cover the three-point spread as favorites.
Rutgers scores at a good pace (76.4 ppg), but allows nearly as much in response (74.6 ppg allowed). Meanwhile, UCLA scores at a lower tier, averaging 66 points a game, and surrenders 65.5 points per contest.
The Bruins have played to the over in just six of their 16 games, while Rutgers is 3-5-1 playing to the over at home this season. Our experts expect a more methodical approach by both teams in this contest. Look for UCLA and Rutgers to play to the under (139 points) tonight.
Read more betting picks and predictions for men's college basketball on site.
UCLA | -150 ML |
Rutgers | +125 ML |
Spread | UCLA -3 |
Total Points | O/U 139 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.