Princeton Tigers vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights Matchup

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

Princeton vs Rutgers Prediction

Planning on watching today's Tigers and Scarlet Knights game? Catch the action at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, as the Scarlet Knights hosts this showdown at 12:00 ET on FS1. The odds for this non-conference game currently have Rutgers as the -5.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 152.5 points.

Princeton vs. Rutgers Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Princeton Tigers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Where: Newark at Prudential Center
Date: Saturday, December 21st
Betting Odds RUTGER -5.5, PRNCE +186 | RUTGER -260 O/U 152.5

Tigers Preview: Will Princeton Shock Everyone at Prudential Center?

Princeton Tigers Recent Game/Games

Princeton improved to 7-4 on the season with a 71-67 win over Monmouth on Tuesday. The Tigers were favored by 14 points but didn’t cover the spread.

Princeton led 30-29 at halftime and scored 41 points in the 2nd half while allowing 38. The total points for the game were 138, falling short of the 146-point over/under line.

Tigers Offense Breakdown

Princeton put up 71 points in their last game, shooting 46.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 57.1%. They hit 68.4% of their two-point attempts and connected on 33.3% from beyond the arc, going 10-for-30 from three-point range.

Abdi Bashir Jr. led the way with 26 points, hitting 5 of 10 from deep, while Xaivian Lee added 23 points and 6 assists. Blake Peters also contributed, knocking down 4 threes at a 50% clip.

Tigers Team Defense

Princeton's defense gave up 67 points, allowing their opponent to shoot 46% from the field, with 23 made baskets on 49 attempts. Inside the arc, the Tigers struggled, as their opponent hit 68% of their two-point shots, going 13/19.

From three-point range, Princeton's defense held their opponent to 33% shooting, with 10 made threes on 30 attempts. The Tigers sent their opponent to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 15 for 65%. Princeton also allowed 7 offensive rebounds.

Scarlet Knights Preview: Do the Scarlet Knights Stand a Chance at Home?

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Recent Game/Games

Rutgers improved to 7-4 on the season with a 66-63 win over Seton Hall on Saturday. Despite being -10.5 point favorites, the Scarlet Knights didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 129 fell short of the 134.5 O/U line.

Rutgers trailed 33-27 at halftime but turned things around in the second half, outscoring Seton Hall 39-30 to secure the win.

Scarlet Knights Offense Breakdown

Rutgers put up 66 points in their last game, shooting 53.5% from the field and 53.8% from three-point range, hitting 7 of 13 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 60.5%, but they struggled at the free-throw line, making just 13 of 28 attempts (46.4%).

Dylan Harper led the way with 24 points, hitting 4 of 7 from deep, while Ace Bailey added 21 points and 7 rebounds, connecting on 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. The Scarlet Knights managed just 5 offensive rebounds and 7 assists as a team.

Scarlet Knights Team Defense

Despite Rutgers' defensive struggles, they managed to hold their opponent to 63 points. The Scarlet Knights allowed 53% shooting from the field, with their opponent hitting 23 of 43 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Rutgers' opponent shot 53%, making 7 of 13 three-point attempts. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 28 times, where they converted 13 attempts for 46%.

Tigers vs Scarlet Knights Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past five road matchups, Princeton has an ATS record of 2-3 while averaging 69 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
In their last three games at home, the Scarlet Knights have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-1-1 vs. the spread. The team averaged 80 points per game in this stretch.
In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Tigers have a strong straight up record of 3-2. In addition, their ATS record was 3-2 in these scenarios.
Through their previous three contests as the betting favorite, the Scarlet Knights have a strong record of 3-0. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 1-1-1.