[7:15 PM] Rutgers @ Miami (FL)

What will be the GAME RESULT?

Miami (FL): Wins By 15+ Points

Any Other Result

•The line for this game Miami by 14.5 points.

• Miami hopes to regain its shooting touch after scoring only 56 points in losses to No. 21 Iowa State and Florida when it hosts unbeaten Rutgers in an ACC-Big 10 Challenge game on Wednesday. The Big 10’s Scarlet Knights can match last season’s win total of seven if they prevail in their toughest test of 2016-17 to date.

• Redshirt junior forward Deshawn Freeman, who only played seven games last season because of a knee injury, scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Hartford and is tied for the team lead in scoring (12.8 points) with guard Nigel Johnson. Point guard Corey Sanders led all Big 10 freshmen in scoring, steals and assists last season, and while his shooting has been off thus far (30.6 percent), he is averaging 5.3 assists and showed his versatility against the Hawks with a line of seven points, 10 assists, four rebounds and six steals. The combination of C.J. Gettys (seven points, six rebounds) and Freeman (nine boards) has helped Rutgers pile up the biggest rebounding differential in Division 1 (plus-18 per game).

• Point guard Ja’Quan Newton (17 points on 50 percent shooting) was the one consistent shooting option in Miami’s two losses, averaging 18 points with his array of short jump shots and hard drives to the basket. Senior Davon Reed is the team’s second-leading scorer (11.3 points) but is shooting only 34.4 percent overall and 32.3 percent from 3-point range, numbers that need to improve if the Hurricanes are to have a successful season. Five-star freshman recruits Dewan Huell (nine points on 59 percent shooting), a 6-11 forward, and guard Bruce Brown (9.3 points, six rebounds, nine steals) have made an immediate impact and will be counted on – along with fellow freshman Dejan Vasiljevic (7.2 points, 42.3 percent on 3-pointers) – to provide more of the scoring as they gain experience.

• Miami has lost three games in a row only twice in Jim Larranaga’s previous five seasons as coach.

• The Hurricanes are 9-5 against Rutgers and won the last meeting 72-57 in November 2011 for what was Larranaga’s second victory.

• Other than a good road win at DePaul, the Scarlet Knights’ victories were against Division II Molloy and four other teams with a combined 6-18 record whose triumphs all came in games against each other.
StreakSmarts Pick: Any Other Result

Confidence: 5/10