Rutgers vs Maryland
The No. 21 ranked Rutgers Scarlet Knights will take on the Maryland Terrapins on Monday, for each team’s first Big Ten matchup of the season.
Having started the 2020 college basketball season 4-0 Rutgers have earned a top 25 AP ranking for the first time since the beginning of the 1979 season.
Ron Harper Jr. is averaging a team high 22.3 points and 7.5 rebounds for the Scarlet Knights, while guard Jacob Young is putting up 16 points, 6.8 assists and 3.3 steals per game.
Young has been one of the most damaging offensive players in the Big Ten to start the season, scoring or assisting 46 percent of all Rutgers field goals over the last three games. The senior has accounted for 22 field goals and 19 assists in those games.
Rutgers will be travelling into Terrapins territory on Monday, where Maryland have won their last four games, scoring an average of 84 points while only giving up 59.3.
Maryland are 4-1 to start the college basketball season having recently suffered their first loss of the season, going down 67-51 against Clemson on Wednesday.
Aside from the loss, the Terrapins have had a strong start to 2020, outscoring their opponents by a combined 89 points, with four starters averaging 10 points per game or higher.
Turn the page.
League play starts Monday. pic.twitter.com/v7GUdx2Fz2
— Maryland Basketball 🐢 (@TerrapinHoops) December 10, 2020
Although the Scarlet Knights will be coming into their first Big Ten matchup of the season with their first top 25 AP ranking in over four decades, the Terrapins are a force to be reckoned with at home, and possess one of the best defenses in the Big Ten, holding opposing teams to 60.8 points per game (the second-lowest figure among all Big Ten teams).
Maryland upset Rutgers in a nail biter on Monday.
College basketball pick – Maryland State by 6.
Marquette vs Creighton
The Marquette Golden Eagles are on the road as they make the trip to face the No. 8 Creighton Bluejays on Monday night, in what will be the first Big East matchup of the season for both teams.
The 4-2 Golden Eagles will be looking to get back in the wins column when they go on the road for their conference opener against Creighton.
Marquette recently suffered their second loss of the season against UCLA on Friday, going down 69-60.
Despite leading the team in scoring with 15.3 points per game, Golden Eagles senior Koby McEwen was held to just nine points against the Bruins. McEwen is a lights out shooter when he gets going, scoring on 43.3 percent of the 30 3-pointers he’s attempted and has attempted this season.
In their most recent outing, the Bluejays outscored Nebraska 54-34 in the second half to defeat the Cornhuskers 98-74. Creighton’s victory over Nebraska was the bounced back game they needed following their one-point loss against No. 5 Kansas last Tuesday.
Senior’s Marcus Zegarowski, Denzel Mahoney and Damien Jefferson have combined to score 44 percent of Creighton’s points this season and will likely be the keys to another Bluejays victory.
Creighton has been terrific on the offensive end of the floor, averaging 85.2 point per game this season while shooting at 51%.
#8 Creighton opens defense of its BIG EAST title on Monday when it opens league play vs. Marquette.
Preview: https://t.co/3acPXLDQdG pic.twitter.com/igs2gIegWq
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) December 13, 2020
Given that the Bluejays one loss of the season came against No. 5 ranked Kansas, they should comfortably defeat the 4-2 Marquette Golden Eagles, who are yet to face a ranked opponent.
College basketball pick – Creighton by 12.
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