Is there a bigger disappointment in college basketball this season than Rutgers? The Scarlet Knights have two star freshmen projected to be top-five NBA draft picks, but right now they’re in danger of not making the Big 10 tournament—not to mention the NCAAs. No surprise, then, that No. 23 Illinois is a 6.5-point road favorite in the Garden State on Wednesday night.
And yet, from a sports betting perspective, Rutgers lately has shown some signs of life. The Scarlet Knights (11-11 outright) have dropped six of the nine games they’ve played since the calendar flipped to 2025, but they’ve covered as single-digit underdogs in five of their last six. Is that trend enough to back them against Illinois (15-7), which has lost four of its last seven both outright and ATS?
Illinois vs Rutgers Odds Today
Matchup Page: Illinois vs Rutgers, 8:30 PM ET
Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Illinois Fighting Illini | -6.5 (-104) | -245 | O156.5 (-110) |
Rutgers Scarlet Knights | +6.5 (-118) | +198 | U156.5 (-110) |
Odds as of February 5 at Sportsbook
Illinois vs Rutgers Today
Rutgers +6.5 (-118) & OVER 156.5 (-110) at Sportsbook
Rutgers was ranked No. 25 in the preseason AP poll thanks to the addition of freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, projected by SI to go second and fifth respectively in a recent NBA mock draft. But the personnel mix just hasn’t clicked, and the Scarlet Knights suffered early losses to Kennesaw State and Princeton before cratering in Big 10 play. Bailey and Harper are averaging 20.2 and 18.6 points respectively, with no one else in double-figures.
Illinois has its own potential lottery pick in 6-6 guard Kasparas Jakucionis, who leads a deep roster with four double-digit scorers. The recent slide by the Illini coincided with an injury to center Tomislav Ivisic, who returned Sunday in a cover over Ohio State. The big concern for Illinois is that three of its four recent losses have come to unranked opponents—including an OT setback to 4.5-point underdog Nebraska, right there with Rutgers near the bottom of the league standings.
No question, Rutgers is having issues closing out opponents—all the losses are evidence of that. But the NBA-bound true freshmen have been good enough to keep the Scarlet Knights in games; Rutgers has played six straight single-digit contests, and their its three defeats have been by three, six, and eight points respectively. Despite the disparity in records, Rutgers feels like the play as a moderate home dog Wednesday night.
Illinois with its roster of long, tall shooters and slashers has gone OVER in roughly 60 percent of its games this season, according to data at TeamRankings.com, a trend that extends to seven of its last 10 in conference play. Rutgers meanwhile gone OVER in four of its last six, all of which have been competitive. We’ll stick with those trends in a game that could have five potential NBA draft picks on the floor.
Illinois vs Rutgers News
Harper missed Rutgers’ most recent game, a three-point home loss to Michigan on Saturday, with an ankle sprain and is listed as questionable for Illinois. The Scarlet Knights are also without center Emmanuel Ogbole, who suffered a knee injury Jan. 20 against Penn State and is out for the remainder of the season.
Illinois vs Rutgers Betting Trends
- Rutgers is 3-1 ATS this season against ranked opponents
- Rutgers is 6-6 ATS this season at home
- Illinois is 2-4 ATS this season in true road games