Rutgers vs. Notre Dame College Basketball Picks: Scarlet Knights, Fighting Irish Clash in First Four

The First Four winds down Wednesday night when Rutgers takes on Notre Dame. Let's dive in with our Rutgers-Notre Dame picks.

Wednesday’s Notre Dame-Rutgers First Four matchup is a battle between two teams that few would have predicted to be in this situation during the preseason.

After a couple of unsightly early-campaign losses, Rutgers put together a strong push late during conference play to land the No. 4 seed and the double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament as one of the last four teams in the field.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame probably assumed its fate in 2021-22 would be much more secure when the team was beating Kentucky in December. But the Irish faltered a few too many times against notably weak ACC competition.

With one win during the First Four, either team could start a magical run.

Here are my Notre Dame-Rutgers picks and predictions for Wednesday's college basketball matchup (odds via BetMGM; Pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Rutgers vs. Notre Dame Game Info

Date/Time: Wednesday, March 16 at 9:10 p.m. ETTV: truTVLocation: UD Arena, Dayton, OH

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Rutgers vs. Notre Dame Odds Analysis

This game opened as a pick’em, and there's been slight movement in Notre Dame's favor. The line sits at Notre Dame -1.5 (-105) through BetMGM. The money on the contest has been split nearly down the middle, with 52% going to Rutgers. The ticket count favors Rutgers a little more heavily at 60%.

The total has been fluctuating considerably. It opened at 134 before ballooning as high as 137 at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Monday morning. With 66% of the cash and 62% of the tickets on the Under, the number is beginning to dip back toward its opening figure. DraftKings is offering it at 135 (-110), while FanDuel remains at 136 (-110).

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Rutgers vs. Notre Dame Picks

Rutgers +1.5 (-110) ????Over 131.5 (-110) ????

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Rutgers vs. Notre Dame Predictions

Rutgers +1.5 (-110)

Inconsistency was the story of Notre Dame’s season. In a watered-down ACC, the Irish were given plenty of opportunities to beat up on some truly bad teams and secure a comfortable spot in the NCAA Tournament.

But they slipped up several times while losing to Boston College and Florida State, two teams outside KenPom's top 100. The Irish racked up very few notable wins, losing virtually every time they took the floor against a quality opponent. The one exception was against Kentucky, which is probably what allowed them to sneak into the tournament. Notre Dame’s tourney will end fast, and the school's struggles against decent teams will continue.

Meanwhile, Rutgers needed to earn its berth with a quality showing while playing a much more difficult Big Ten schedule. With strong wins over the likes of Purdue, Michigan, Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, Rutgers has regularly demonstrated it's capable of thriving against tough competition.

Notre Dame just hasn’t shown that ability with enough consistency, making it difficult to pick the Fighting Irish to cover the 1.5-point spread at BetMGM. Though the line has been creeping toward the Irish since it opened, the money leans narrowly in Rutgers' direction.

SEE ALSO: March Madness Longshot and Sleeper Picks

Over 131.5 (-110)

This pick probably bucks conventional wisdom, as the matchup will very likely be ugly and unwatchable. But with Notre Dame’s often poor defense involved, these two teams might sail past this total by accident. Rutgers doesn't boast a particularly strong offense, but the Fighting Irish's defense typically makes the opposition look good.

Rutgers is frequently content to score in the low-to-mid 60s. But Notre Dame could perform defensively like it did in the ACC Tournament, when the team let Virginia Tech post its second-best scoring game of the season while beating the Irish 87-80.

Though Rutgers doesn’t profile as an outstanding offensive group, I could see the Scarlet Knights scoring into the high-60s or even 70s in a close win that goes Over.

This number just doesn’t feel high enough, even if Rutgers isn't able to produce an outstanding offensive effort. The Over would still cash after an underwhelming 67-65 outcome.

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Rutgers-Notre Dame picks made 3/15/2022 at 1:49 p.m. ET.