Washington vs. Rutgers Picks and Predictions, Tuesday, February 24th, 2026
Use Code WWWC The Washington Huskies (13-14, 5-11 Big Ten) and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (11-16, 4-12 Big Ten) play a cross country matchup near the bottom of the Big Ten standings in this Washington vs. Rutgers prediction. This is their first time playing each other this season. Washington just lost on the road in Maryland 64-60, losing outright as 2.5-point favorites. Rutgers just lost at Minnesota 80-61, missing the cover as 8.5-point dogs. Tipoff is set for 6:30 EST and can be found on the Big Ten Network. Keep reading to see our Washington vs. Rutgers prediction, and check out all of our best NCAAB Betting Picks!
Washington Stays out East
The Washington Huskies are on one of their East Coast trips which have become common place since the Big Ten expanded. They already played their first game on the trip, and missed a chance to pick up a decent win on the road in Maryland. Joe Lunardi projects that 11 teams from the Big Ten will make the NCAA Tournament, but does not have Washington or Rutgers listed as one of them. The Huskies are currently 13th in the 18-team league.
This will be the first year that all 18 teams in the conference make the league tournament, as only the top 15 were allowed to participate last season. In their loss to Maryland, the Huskies were led by Zoom Diallo with 19 points and five assists. Diallo is a 6'4 sophomore guard, and former 5-star recruit who has played both of his seasons with Washington. He is averaging 14.9 PPG, and leads the team with 4.4 APG. Their top player is Hannes Steinbach, a 6'11 freshman who made the long trip from Germany. Steinbach is averaging 17.8 PPG and 10.9 RPG in his first season. Wesley Yates III is another 6'4 sophomore adding 13.1 PPG.
Washington is currently ranked 47th out of 365 Division I teams according to KenPom. They are 67th in offensive efficiency and 45th in defensive efficiency. The Huskies play at a slow pace, ranking 228th in the nation in pace of play.
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Scarlet Knights Snap out of their Funk
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights had a tough stretch in the middle of conference play where they lost seven straight games, sending them to the bottom of the conference. They were finally able to grab a couple wins when they defeated Maryland at home then went on the road to defeat Penn State. Rutgers is now 14th in the league standings. In their last game, they were led by Lino Mark with 16 points off the bench in the loss to Minnesota.
Mark went 3-3 from downtown against Minnesota, but is just a rotational player in his freshman year as the 6'2 guard scores just 4.2 PPG. Their top scorer is 6'1 junior guard Tariq Francis, who made a big leap in-state as he played his first two seasons with NJIT before coming over to Rutgers. Francis is scoring 16.6 PPG, and has made 38 three pointers on the year. Their only other scorer in double figures is Dylan Grant, the 6'8 forward plays inside and out and is getting 10.9 PPG and 4.6 RPG.
Rutgers is currently ranked 150th overall according to KenPom. They are 145th in offensive efficiency and 177th in defensive efficiency. They play at a similar pace as Washington does, ranking 273rd in the country in tempo.
Key Injuries for Washington vs. Rutgers:
Washington
- Out: G Desmond Claude (13.3 PPG)
Rutgers
- None listed that would impact the depth chart.
Washington vs. Rutgers Picks and Predictions
Spread pick for Washington vs. Rutgers
- Rutgers to cover (5 units)
This is a tough trip for Washington, as they are across the country and already took a loss in Maryland on this trip. College kids are not used to this type of travel plans, and Washington's top scorers are all either freshman or sophomores. The Huskies have been without Desmond Claude for the past month, which has been part of the reason they find themselves so low in the standings. Rutgers comes into this game healthy, and Tariq Francis has proven he can score on any team in the league. Take the home team here as the Washington Huskies show signs of fatigue.
Take Rutgers to cover.
Over/Under Pick for Washington vs. Rutgers
- Under (4 units)
Neither of these two teams have been lighting up the scoreboard this season, or have much of a chance at an at-large bid. We will see conservative play here from both teams who are ranked outside of the top 225 in the country in pace of play. Washington is far from home, and has been on this East Coast trip for a week, it is unlikely they come out and play fast. Rutgers only has two scorers in double figures, and will try to keep this game close by slowing it down. The best unit in this game is Washington's defense, further helping this under.
Take the under.
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