Point Spread: Hoosiers Modest Underdog in Tough Road Trip to Rutgers

Indiana is off to an impressive 3-1 start in the Big Ten, and the Hoosiers have another good opportunity for a road win at Rutgers on Tuesday night. The Scarlet Knights are favored, but not by much. Here's the latest line, plus a great history of both teams against the spread.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rutgers has been a thorn in the side of Indiana lately, and when the two teams get together in New Jersey on Tuesday night, the Hoosiers are looking to end a three-game losing streak at Jersey Mike's Arena.

The Scarlet Knights have a nice home-court advantage in their loud and raucous 8,000-seat arena, which is why they are a 2.5-point favorite over the Hoosiers, according to the SISportsbook.com gambling website. The over/under is 140.5.

That's despite the fact that Rutgers is just 8-6 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten. Dustin Schutte, our Big Ten writer for HoosiersNow.com, has the Scarlet Knights dead last at No. 14 in this week's conference power rankings. 

Indiana is 11-4 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten after Saturday's big win over Ohio State. They have one road win already in league play, winning at Michigan, and would love to steal one here in New Jersey.

That hasn't been easy. They lost 63-48 here a year ago, losing badly on Dec. 3, 2022 after wining their first seven games. They played without Jalen Hood-Schifino in that game, and Indiana's guards were a combined 3-for-22 shooting.

Rutgers also won 74-63 on Feb. 24, 2021 and 66-58 on Jan. 30, 2019. Rutgers had actually won six straight in the series until Indiana beat them 66-60 in Bloomington on Feb. 7, 2023.

Here's what Indiana has done against the spread so far this season.

Indiana by the numbers

• Indiana overall record: 11-4
• Indiana overall vs. spread: 7-8
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• Indiana home record: 8-1
• Indiana home vs. spread: 5-4
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• Indiana road record: 1-1
• Indiana road vs spread: 1-1
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• Indiana neutral court record: 2-2
• Indiana neutral court vs. spread: 1-3
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• Indiana record as favorite: 9-0
• Indiana vs. spread as favorite: 4-5
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• Indiana record as underdog: 2-4
• Indiana vs. spread as underdog: 3-3
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• Indiana over total: 8
• Indiana under total: 7

For every game, we'll give you a complete rundown on what both teams have done against the spread. We'll have final scores, what they did versus the spread and what happened with the over/under totals.

Indiana results vs. spread this season

Here's what Indiana has done this season, straight up and against the spread:

• Nov. 7 — Beat Florida Gulf Coast 69-63 at home as an 11.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (132) went under the 142.5 over/under total.
• Nov. 12 — Beat Army 72-64 at home as a 25.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (138) went over the 134.5 total.
• Nov. 16 — Beat Wright State 89-80 at home as a 15.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (169) went far over the 146.5 total.
• Nov. 19 — Lost to No. 5 Connecticut 77-57 at Madison Square Garden in New York as a 12.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (134) went under the 146.5 total.
• Nov. 20 — Beat Louisville 74-66 at Madison Square Garden in New York as an 8.5-point favorite at tipoff (did not cover). The score (140) went under the 146.5 total.
• Nov. 26 — Beat Harvard 89-76 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as an 7.5-point favorite at tipoff (covered). The score (165) went far over the 140.5 total.
• Dec. 1 — Beat Maryland 65-53 at home as a 3.5-point favorite at tipoff (covered). The score (117) went far under the 136.5 total.
• Dec. 5 — Won at Michigan 78-75 as a 6.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (153) went over the 144.5 total.
• Dec. 9 — Lost to Auburn 104-76 in Atlanta as a 6.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (180) went far over the 147.5 total.
• Dec. 16 — Lost to No. 2 Kansas 75-71 at home as a 7.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (146) went under the 147.5 total.
• Dec. 19 — Beat Morehead State 69-68 at home as a 12.5-point favorite at tipoff (did not cover). The score (137) went under the 141.5 total.
• Dec. 21 — Beat North Alabama 83-66 at home as a 13.5-point favorite at tipoff (did not cover). The score (149) went over the 147.5 total.
• Dec. 29 — Beat Kennesaw State 100-87 at home as a 12.5-point favorite at tipoff (covered). The score (187) went over the 160.5 total.
• Jan. 3 — Lost at Nebraska 86-70 as a 3.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (156) went over the 151.5 total.
• Jan. 3 — Beat Ohio State 71-65 as a 1.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (136) went under the 147.5 total.

Rutgers results vs. spread this season

Rutgers is 8-6 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten, losing at home to Illinois in December and then both road games last week at Ohio State and Iowa. They are 1-2 against the spread in league games. 

The Scarlet Knights opened the season ranked No. 59 in the Kenpom.com computer rankings, and now they're at No. 90 as of Tuesday morning.

Rutgers is 6-8 vs. the point spread this season. Nine of its 14 games have gone under the total, but the last two Big Ten losses both went over.

Here's what Rutgers has done this season, straight up and against the spread:

• Nov. 6 — Lost to Princeton 68-61 in Trenton, N.J. as a 5.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (129) went under the 137.5 over/under total.
• Nov. 10— Beat Boston University 69-45 at home as a 21.5-point favorite (covered). The score (114) went under the 131.5 over/under total.
• Nov. 12 — Beat Bryant 66-57 at home as a 15.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (122) went under the 142.5 over/under total.
• Nov. 15— Beat Georgetown 71-60 at home in the Gavitt Games as a 10.5-point favorite (covered). The score (131) went under the 134.5 over/under total.
• Nov. 18 — Beat Howard 85-63 at home as a 14.5-point favorite (covered). The score (148) went over the 142.5 over/under total.
• Nov. 27— Beat Saint Peter's 71-40 at home as a 16.5-point favorite (covered). The score (111) went under the 124.5 over/under total.
• Dec. 2 — Lost to No. 24 Illinois 76-58 at home as a 1.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (134) went under the 139.5 over/under total.
• Dec. 6 — Lost at Wake Forest 76-57 as a 3.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (133) went under the 140.5 over/under total.
• Dec. 9 — Beat Seton Hall 70-63 at Newark, N..J., as a 3.5-point underdog (covered). The score (133) went over the 131.5 over/under total.
• Dec. 16 — Beat Long Island University 83-61 at home as a 27.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (144) went over the 138.5 over/under total.
• Dec. 23 — Lost to Mississippi State 70-60 at Newark, N..J., as a 3.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (130) went under the 131.5 over/under total.
• Dec. 30— Beat Stonehill 59-58 at home as a 26.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (117) went under the 136.5 over/under total.
• Jan. 3 — Lost at Ohio State 76-72 as a 7.5-point underdog (covered). The score (148) went over the 137.5 over/under total.
• Jan. 6 — Lost at Iowa 86-77 as a 6.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (163) went under the 152.5 over/under total.