College Hoops Picks Feb. 3, 2009: Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ Georgetown Hoyas

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-8, 10-12) at Georgetown Hoyas (3-6, 12-8)

Tuesday, Feb. 3—7:00 PM EST

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Preview

The Hoyas (3-6, 12-8) have slipped out of the Top 25 for the first time this season after suffering their fifth loss in a row against Marquette on Saturday. There was speculation before the game that DaJuan Summers would be out—this proved to be false as the Hoyas' star was good for 22 points (including 4-4 from beyond the arc) and seven rebounds.

Georgetown's problems are far worse than merely injuries—there have been unconfirmed reports of locker room scuffles, and the team has been playing well below expectations.

Rutgers (1-8, 10-12) is coming off their first Big East win of the season, which came over DePaul on Saturday (who are now the only remaining Big East team that is winless in conference play). They have had a very tough recent schedule and some close calls (including a three point loss to Seton Hall, a five-point loss to Marquette, and a six point loss to Pitt), so their first win is sure to give them some much-needed confidence.

In their last 10 meetings, the Hoyas have gone 8-2 against the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers gave the Hoyas a lot of trouble last season in New Brunswick, but Georgetown ended up winning the contest 58-46. The question now is will Rutgers be able to play similarly to last season and win over a sliding Georgetown team, or will the Hoyas be able to get out of their slump and win one for the home crowd?

By The Numbers

	Record	Conf	ATS	RPI	SOS	PF	PA
Rutgers	10-12	1-8	9-7	152	75	66.0	66.3
Georgetown	12-8	3-6	6-9	18	1	72.5	64.3

	FG%	D. FG%	3P%	D. 3P%	FT%	RPG	SPG	APG	TPG
Rutgers	43-0	41.5	29.3	28.8	72.1	39.3	5.8	11.3	15.0
Georgetown	47.4	39.8	33.2	31.1	72.7	36.7	8.1	14.0	14.0

Prediction

Current Line: Georgetown -16.0

Rutgers ATS: 9-7, 6-5 when underdog.
Georgetown ATS: 6-9, 5-6 when favored.

The Hoyas have been playing anything but good basketball recently. They've lost to a lot of teams that they shouldn't have—they gave Seton Hall their first Big East win of the season! Georgetown has had a spread this large three times this season, and in those games they have gone 2-1 ATS. But those two wins against the spread came over Drexel and Florida International—not exactly programs known for their basketball dominance.

Rutgers, on the other hand, has at least been competitive in their losing efforts. They've missed out on some of their single-digit spreads, but they did stay within the spread against UNC, Pitt, and Marquette (they fell short in their 31-point blowout to UConn)—some of their tougher opponents.

With the way Georgetown has been playing, I'm not confident that they can put the Scarlet Knights away by mid-teens.

Ryan's Pick: Rutgers +16.0

*This article is also featured on CBBPlace.com*

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