College Hoops Picks Jan. 31, 2009: DePaul Blue Demons @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights

DePaul Blue Demons (8-13) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-12)

Saturday, Jan. 31—8:00 PM EST

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Preview

There can be only one.

The two remaining Big East winless teams face off Saturday for a battle for the bottom slot. Rutgers (0-8, 9-12) is coming off a very close game—a three-point loss to Seton Hall (which was picked correctly against the spread). DePaul (0-8, 8-13), on the other hand, is coming off a 22-point blowout against Connecticut.

Both teams have fallen short multiple times this season, although Rutgers has looked stronger than DePaul. The Scarlet Knights' defeats include opponents such as UNC (non-conference, but important to mention), Pitt, Connecticut, and Louisville. The Blue Demons have succumbed to South Florida twice (the only Big East team with an overall losing record at the start of conference play), Providence, and Cincinnati.

Stats:

	Record	Conf	ATS	RPI	SOS	PF	PA
DePaul	8-13	0-8	4-11	197	90	66.4	69.9
Rutgers	9-12	0-8	8-7	157	72	65.6	66.8

	FG%	D. FG%	3P%	D. 3P%	FT%	RPG	SPG	APG	TPG
DePaul	41.3	43.5	27.1	33.8	62.3	39.4	6.7	11.4	12.4
Rutgers	42.5	41.9	29.0	28.7	72.0	39.0	5.7	11.0	15.0

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Prediction:

Current Line: Rutgers -2.5

DePaul ATS: 4-11, 3-8 when underdog
Rutgers ATS: 8-7, 2-2 when favored

While momentum is hard to determine for two teams who have rattled off the consecutive losses these two have, the edge goes to Rutgers because of the opponents they have faced and how they've looked against them.

Ryan's Pick: Rutgers -2.5

*All statistics for this article have come from StatSheet.com*

*This article is also featured on CBBPlace.com*