Expert Betting Picks Say No. 16 Louisville Looking Like ‘Locks’ Against Rutgers in Big East Battle

While nothing outside of death and taxes is really a ‘lock’ in this world, I’m going on record right now with my expert basketball betting picks selection to say that the 16th-ranked Louisville Cardinals are as close as a it gets to being an undeniable lock when they hit the road to face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a Big East battle that gets underway in the BetOnline basketball sportsbook tonight at 9:00 PM ET.

No. 16 Louisville at Rutgers 9:00 PM ET

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Louis Brown Athletic Center, Piscataway, NJ

TV: ESPNU

NCAAB Odds

Louisville -3.5

Analysis: Louisville (20-7 SU, 13-10-1 ATS, 11-13 O/U) has maddeningly alternated SU wins and losses over their last seven games but managed to spank UConn in its 71-58 win on Friday as a 3.5-point home favorite. Despite their discouraging 2-3 ATS record in their last five games, my expert betting picks selection says the Cardinals will cash in against the college basketball betting odds to improve on their respectable 4-4 ATS road record.

Here’s why.

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (13-13 SU, 11-10-1 ATS, 9-11-1 O/U) have lost two consecutive games and six of their last seven games overall. Yeah, I know the Knights have cashed in against the college basketball betting line in five of their last half-dozen games and seven times in their last 10 games overall, but they’ve also lost to Louisville five straight times dating back to 2006 and none of those losses came by fewer than nine points as the Cardinals have won by an average of 21.8 points per game.

While Rutgers cashed in against the expert betting picks as a 12-point road underdog in its 84-80 overtime loss to Syracuse on Saturday, but the Scarlet Knights have only gotten less than 5.5 points as an underdog once in their last nine games – and they failed to cash in against the spread in that contest.

Louisville averages 8.9 points per game more than the Scarlet Knights while also allowing just under a point per game less defensively.  Rutgers is really limited offensively with just one double-digit scorer in senior forward Jonathan Mitchell (14.8 ppg) and will fall at home in this contest to a Louisville ballclub that is looking to record consecutive wins for the first time since Jan. 26-29 and improve its chances of getting a higher seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

My expert betting picks say, back the Louisville Cardinals to win and cash in!

Expert Betting Picks: Louisville Cardinals -3.5 Points