Merrimack College Warriors vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Merrimack College vs Rutgers NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Piscataway.

Merrimack College vs Rutgers Prediction

Betting on today's Warriors and Scarlet Knights game? Catch the action at Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, NJ, as the Scarlet Knights hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on PEAC. The odds for this non-conference game currently have Rutgers as the -20 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 134.5 points.

Merrimack College vs. Rutgers Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Merrimack College Warriors at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Where: Piscataway at Jersey Mike's Arena
Date: Wednesday, November 20th
Betting Odds RUTGER -20, MERRI +1266 | RUTGER -4666 O/U 134.5

Warriors Preview: Will Merrimack College Secure A Victory as Road Underdogs?

Merrimack College dropped to 1-2 on the season after a 68-57 loss to Princeton on Sunday. The Warriors were +5.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 125 fell short of the 137 O/U line.

Merrimack led 35-33 at halftime but struggled in the 2nd half, scoring just 22 points while allowing 35.

Warriors Offense Breakdown

Merrimack's offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 37.5% from the field and 23.3% from beyond the arc, hitting 7 of 30 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 42.9%, and they managed only 6 assists as a team.

Adam Clark led the way with 24 points, while Caden Pierce added 18 points and 9 rebounds. Dalen Davis contributed 16 points, hitting 4 of 6 from three-point range.

Warriors Team Defense

Despite Merrimack's defensive efforts, they couldn't hold their opponent under 68 points. The Warriors allowed 37% shooting from the field, with their opponent hitting 21 of 56 shots.

Merrimack's defense struggled inside, giving up 53% shooting on two-pointers (14/26). However, they limited the damage from beyond the arc, where their opponent shot just 23% (7/30). Merrimack also sent them to the line 10 times, where they made 8 free throws.

Scarlet Knights Preview: Will the Scarlet Knights Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Recent Game/Games

Rutgers improved to 3-0 on the season with a 98-81 win over Monmouth on Friday. The Scarlet Knights were -22 point favorites, but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 179, exceeding the O/U line of 148.

Rutgers led 47-30 at halftime, but both teams scored 51 points in the 2nd half. While the offense continued to roll, the defense allowed Monmouth to keep pace after the break.

Scarlet Knights Offense Breakdown

Rutgers put up 98 points in their last game, shooting 59.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 69.2%. They were 62.5% on two-point attempts and 55% from beyond the arc, hitting 11 threes. At the free-throw line, they connected on 78.1%, going 25-for-32.

Abdi Bashir Jr. led the way with 38 points, hitting 10 threes at a 58.8% clip. Dylan Harper added 20 points and 6 assists, shooting 66.7% overall and from three. Zach Martini contributed 18 points, shooting 70% from the field and 57.1% from deep.

Scarlet Knights Team Defense

Rutgers struggled defensively, giving up 81 points on 59% shooting from the field. Their opponent shot 62% on two-pointers, hitting 20 of 32 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Rutgers allowed 11 threes on 20 attempts, a 55% clip. They also sent their opponent to the line 32 times, where they converted 25 free throws, shooting 78%.

Warriors vs Scarlet Knights Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although Merrimack College has a straight up record of 1-2 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-2. The team averaged 67 points per game in these games.
In their last five games at home, the Scarlet Knights have a straight up record of 0-5 while going 0-5 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 62 points per game in these contests.
Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Merrimack College has an ATS mark of 3-2 while going 1-4 straight up.
Over the team's last three games as the favorite, the Scarlet Knights struggled vs the spread going just 1-2. However, they still had a straight up mark of 3-0.