Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Michigan State Spartans Prediction, 3/5/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Michigan State Spartans

Date: Thursday, March 5, 2026

Location: Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI

TV: ESPN+

Breslin Center is where the Michigan State Spartans (24-5) will try to defeat the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (12-17) on Thursday.

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights stepped onto the hardwood against Maryland and earned the victory with a final of 69-65 in their last game. Rutgers wrapped up the contest with a 39.7% FG percentage (23 of 58) and made 4 out of their 17 shots from 3-point land. At the free throw line, the Scarlet Knights made 19 of their 23 attempts for a percentage of 82.6%. Regarding hauling in boards, they compiled a total of 24 with 4 of them being offensive. They also distributed 10 dimes for this game as well as creating 18 turnovers and getting 8 steals. When it comes to the defense, Rutgers allowed their opponent to shoot 40.0% from the field on 24 of 60 shooting. Maryland dished out 10 assists and had 4 steals in this game. Additionally, Maryland pulled down 45 rebounds (12 offensive, 33 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Maryland ended up going 68.8% when shooting free throws by converting 11 of their 16 shots. They also knocked down 6 of 28 attempts from beyond the perimeter. When talking about personal fouls, the Scarlet Knights finished with 14 and Maryland racked up 22 personal fouls.

Tariq Francis is one player who was a factor in this matchup. He finished the game at 36.4% from the floor and also dished out 4 assists. He was on the court for 32 mins and also pulled down 4 boards. He accounted for 19 points on 4 of 11 shooting.

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Rutgers steps onto the hardwood with a win-loss record of 12-17 on the season. They have an average of 70.2 points per outing (305th in D-1) on 41.5% from the field. The Scarlet Knights are connecting on 31.7% on shots from beyond the arc (185 of 583) and 73.6% from the free throw line. As a team, Rutgers is collecting 33.3 boards per contest and has earned 337 dimes on the season, which is 345th in the country in terms of passing the ball. They are turning it over 10.2 times per game and as a group they are committing 16.6 fouls on a nightly basis.

When they are on the defensive end, the Scarlet Knights are forcing their opponents into 11.3 turnovers per contest and they draw 18.2 fouls. They are ranked 286th in college in giving up assists to the opposition with 444 surrendered on the campaign. The Scarlet Knights are giving up a field goal percentage of 45.9% (778 of 1,695) and they concede 36.2 boards per game as a squad. They surrender 36.6% from 3-point land and they rank 228th in D-1 in opponents points per game (75.4).

When they last stepped on the court, the Michigan State Spartans walked away with a victory by a final of 77-64 when they faced Indiana. The Spartans pulled down 21 defensive boards and 9 offensive rebounds totaling 30 in this game. They coughed up the ball 9 times, while earning 2 steals in this contest. Indiana was called for 17 personal fouls in the game which took the Spartans to the free throw line for 19 attempts. They were able to make 15 of those for a rate of 78.9%. In relation to 3-point attempts, Michigan State knocked down 12 of their 24 attempts (50.0%). When the game finished, the Spartans walked away from this one shooting 25 for 51 from the field which gave them a percentage of 49.0%. The Spartans permitted Indiana to bury 22 of their 56 tries from the field which left them with a rate of 39.3% in this contest. They shot 28.6% from 3-point land by hitting 10 out of 35 and finished the game at 10 of 13 from the charity stripe (76.9%). In regard to cleaning the glass, Michigan State allowed Indiana to collect 24 in all (6 on the offensive side).

Jaxon Kohler ended up being a major contributor for the Spartans for this game. He converted 7 out of 12 for the matchup for a rate of 58.3%, and had 13 rebounds. He racked up 21 points in his 32 minutes on the court and had 2 assists for this game.

Michigan State has a record of 24-5 for the season. The Spartans commit 16.1 personal fouls per contest and they hit 75.7% from the charity stripe. They are earning an assist 18.3 times per contest (11th in D-1) and they are giving up possession 11.5 times per game. Michigan State has scored 2,271 points on the year (78.3 per game) and they pull in 40.4 boards per contest. As an offensive team, the Spartans are hitting on 46.9% from the floor, which ranks them 87th in college hoops.

The Michigan State defense surrenders 31.5% on shots from distance (242 of 769) and their opponents are converting on 73.9% of their shots from the free throw line. They have relinquished 12.9 dimes and 28.4 boards on a nightly basis, which is ranked 136th and 2nd in college hoops. The Spartans are ranked 25th in college in points allowed per contest with 66.3. They are able to force 10.1 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 40.0% from the floor (22nd in the country).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Michigan State

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