The Monmouth Hawks head to Louis Brown Athletic Center to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The game gets underway at 1:00 pm ET on Sunday, Dec. 20.
The Scarlet Knights got blown out by George Washington 83-49 the last time they played. Bishop Daniels was the team’s high scorer, finishing with 12 points. The Hawks, meanwhile, are coming off an 83-68 win over Georgetown in their last outing. Je’lon Hornbeak shot 1 for 7 and led in scoring with 18 points.
Rutgers, a nine-point underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Monmouth. The teams combine to set the Over/Under (O/U) at 141 points. The Scarlet Knights look to improve upon their records of 4-6 Straight Up (SU) and 3-3 Against The Spread (ATS). Expect Rutgers to have lots of opportunities at the line against the Hawks, who are one of the most foul-prone teams in the nation with an average of 23.3 fouls per game.
On the other side, Monmouth has a SU record of 7-3 and an ATS record of 7-2. They sport the 35th-ranked scoring offense in the country, averaging 78.7 points per game. The Hawks are getting to the foul line at a high rate. Their 200 free throws made ranks 34th in Division I. Shifting to the other side of the court, teams seem to consistently miss three-point shots against the Hawks, who are the 36th-best team in the country in terms of three-point field goal percentage allowed at .295. The Hawks have established a reputation of cleaning up the defensive glass with 28.6 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the top teams in the nation.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time Rutgers and Monmouth played, Rutgers won, moving its SU record against the Hawks to 5-0. The Scarlet Knights also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 1-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – Monm, ATS Winner – Monm, O/U – Over
Notes
Rutgers is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games.
Rutgers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Monmouth.
Rutgers lost its last game by a 34-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Monmouth is 1-0. Rutgers is 0-3 in blowouts this season.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights average a field goal percentage of 42.6% this season. The Monmouth Hawks have a losing record of 1-3 when opponents have a FG% of 42.6% or greater.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights rank higher based on their field goal percentage (231st) than their effective field goal percentage (294th). The Monmouth Hawks rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (214th) than their field goal percentage (251st).
Rutgers ranks 165th in offensive rebounds, while Monmouth ranks 49th in defensive rebounds.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 18.7% when playing Rutgers this season. Monmouth is undefeated (3-0) when its TO% is 18.7% or higher.
