Updated Rutgers vs. Notre Dame Odds, Spread, Pick & Predictions for 2022 NCAA Tournament

by BettingPros Staff |
Mar 13, 2022

Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2022 NCAA Tournament Game Preview

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Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Match Up Overview

	Rutgers	Notre Dame
Conference	Big Ten	ACC
W-L	18-13	22-10
AdjEM	74th	52nd
AdjO	108th	30th
AdjD	43rd	83rd
Tempo	289th	250th
eFG%	200th	28th
TO%	104th	28th
OR%	133rd	334th
FTR	273rd	263rd
DeFG%	99th	129th
DTO%	195th	336th
DR%	118th	39th
DFTR	139th	22nd
Luck	142nd	144th

Stats via KenPom.

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Rutgers Scarlet Knights Preview

I know committees judge teamsâ€™ resumes for the entire year. Looking at Rutgers holistically, itâ€™s surprising the Scarlet Knights made the tournament. Losses to Lafayette (ranked 324th in KenPom) and UMass (ranked 188th) stick out like sore thumbs and make me question this teamâ€™s ability.

When the calendar flipped to 2022, however, Rutgers turned over a new leaf, going 12-8 in conference to earn themselves a 4 seed for the Big Ten tournament. Ron Harper Jr., Paul Mulcahy, and Geo Baker are loads of fun to watch. Their slow tempo and effective interior defense has forced some teams to struggle, such as Purdue and Illinois.

But one thing Rutgers is notorious for is how they play at home vs. on the road. Almost all their big wins come from inside Jersey Mike's Arena, and they rank 302nd in the away-from-home metric. Furthermore, Rutgers ranked 352nd in the consistency metric, making me essentially avoid this team at all costs. Their struggles on neutral courts and their bottom-100 offense give me enough doubts to pass on this team as a bracket selection.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview

Notre Dame is yet another ACC bubble team that snuck into the dance. Mike Brey's team has a solid offense with some electric perimeter shooting. They are notorious for limiting turnovers on offense.

The Irish won't beat themselves, but it's not like it's impossible to take down this team. Notre Dame struggled early in the year, with a loss to Boston College and a 2OT scare against Georgia Tech. Since then, they have quietly put together a solid season. Any team going 15-5 in the ACC usually would be a top seed, but as down as the conference has been this season, that record doesn't hold as much merit.

Since Jan. 1, Notre Dame ranks as the 27th best team in the nation. The Irish have performed well away from home, and their ability to get hot from deep can be scary. This might not be the most frightening program, but their high number of close games gives me some faith that they are ready for the tournament atmosphere.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Round 1 Game Pick

Notre Dame +1

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