Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Wisconsin Badgers Prediction, 1/17/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Wisconsin Badgers

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026

Location: Kohl Center in Madison, WI

TV: ESPN+

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-8) are on their way to Kohl Center on Saturday where they will play the Wisconsin Badgers (12-5).

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights faced off with Northwestern and took home the win by a score of 77-75 in their last contest. In reference to personal fouls, the Scarlet Knights ended up walking away with 21 and Northwestern recorded 22 personal fouls. They made 6 out of their 18 attempts from downtown. Northwestern ended up going 58.6% at the free throw line by knocking down 17 of their 29 attempts. Additionally, Northwestern totaled 38 rebounds (10 offensive, 28 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Northwestern earned 20 assists and had 5 steals in the matchup. In regard to defense, Rutgers allowed the other team to shoot 41.3% from the floor on 26 out of 63 shooting. They also distributed 14 assists in this matchup as well as creating 6 turnovers and earning 4 steals. When discussing pulling down boards, they earned 46 with 13 of them being of the offensive sort. From the free throw line, the Scarlet Knights made 19 of 27 tries for a percentage of 70.4%. Rutgers ended the contest having earned a 40.6% FG percentage (26 out of 64) and converted 6 out of their 19 3-point shots.

Tariq Francis is a player who was a major factor for the game. He finished 45.5% from the floor and totaled 3 dimes. He played for 35 minutes played and totaled 3 boards. He was able to score 30 points on 10 out of 22 shooting.

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Rutgers steps onto the hardwood with a win-loss mark of 9-8 on the campaign. They currently have an average of 69.8 pts per game (319th in college) while hitting 40.4% from the floor. The Scarlet Knights are hitting 31.7% on shots from 3-point land (107 of 338) and 71.8% from the charity stripe. As a team, Rutgers is pulling in 36.2 boards per game and has earned 182 dimes so far this season, which is 354th in college in terms of passing. They lose possession by turning the ball over 10.8 times per game and as a squad they are committing 17.0 personal fouls on a nightly basis.

Defensively, the Scarlet Knights are able to force 11.7 turnovers per contest while drawing 18.9 personal fouls. They give up 36.5% on shots from distance and they are ranked 174th in the country in points per game allowed (73.2). The Scarlet Knights defense is allowing a shooting percentage of 44.2% (446 of 1,010) and they concede 36.7 boards per contest as a squad. They rank 251st in college hoops in giving up assists with 249 conceded for the year.

The last time they took the court, the Wisconsin Badgers walked away with a victory by a final of 78-75 when they faced Minnesota. Concerning rebounding, Wisconsin allowed Minnesota to grab 26 overall (4 on the offensive glass). They went 27.8% from distance by connecting on 5 out of 18 and ended up going 16 of 24 from the charity stripe (66.7%). The Badgers permitted Minnesota to convert 27 out of 52 tries from the field which left them shooting 51.9% for the contest. When the final whistle blew, the Badgers finished the game shooting 25 for 55 from the field which gave them a rate of 45.5%. In relation to shooting from 3-point land, Wisconsin converted 14 of 33 attempts (42.4%). They were able to make 14 of the free throws for a percentage of 77.8%. Minnesota committed 14 fouls in the game which got the Badgers to the free throw line for a total of 18 shots. They coughed up the ball 5 times, while recording 1 steal in this game. The Badgers earned 26 defensive rebounds and 6 offensive rebounds totaling 32 for this game.

John Blackwell was important for the Badgers in the game. He buried 8 of 14 for the contest for a field goal rate of 57.1%, and had 6 rebounds. He had 27 points in his 34 mins on the hardwood and accumulated 5 assists in this matchup.

Wisconsin has a win-loss record of 12-5 on the year. As an offensive team, the Badgers are shooting 45.4% from the field, which ranks 182nd in college. Wisconsin has totaled 1,407 points on the season (82.8 per contest) and they grab 37.1 rebounds per game. They are assisting teammates 15.7 times per game (104th in the nation) and they are losing possession via turnover 10.2 times per contest. The Badgers are responsible for committing 18.2 personal fouls every game and they go 76.5% from the charity stripe.

The Wisconsin defense gives up 32.1% on shots from distance (126 of 392) and opponents are converting on 71.8% of their free throw shots. They allow 13.5 assists and 33.5 rebounds per game, which is 199th and 118th in the nation. The Badgers are ranked 228th in D-1 in PPG surrendered with 75.0. They are forcing 11.1 TO's every game and have let teams shoot 44.3% from the field (223rd in D-1).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Rutgers

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