ronharperjrcbs.jpg
USATSI

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 when they face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a 2022 First Four game on Wednesday at Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Five years ago the Fighting Irish were knocked out in the second round of the tournament by West Virginia. On Wednesday Notre Dame (22-10) faces former Big East rival Rutgers (18-13), which is looking to win a NCAA Tournament game for the second straight season. The winner will advance to face No. 6 seed Alabama on Friday. 

Tipoff is set for 9:10 p.m. ET. The Fighting Irish are favored by one point in the latest Notre Dame vs. Rutgers odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 132. Before making any Rutgers vs. Notre Dame picks or First Four 2022 predictions, you have to see which side Vegas legend Micah Roberts is backing. 

Roberts worked in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry for more than 20 years, including a 13-year run as Station Casinos' book director. Armed with an unmatched network of sources, the former bookmaker became a SportsLine expert in 2016.

In addition, he has been on a roll with his college basketball picks recently. He is 31-16 with his last 47 college basketball picks for a profit of $1,304. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, Roberts has zeroed in on the Notre Dame vs. Rutgers matchup and locked in another confident against-the-spread pick. You can only see Roberts' March Madness picks at SportsLine. Now, here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for Rutgers vs. Notre Dame:

  • Notre Dame vs. Rutgers spread: Fighting Irish -1 
  • Notre Dame vs. Rutgers over-under: 132 points 
  • Notre Dame vs. Rutgers money line: Fighting Irish -115, Scarlet Knights -105 
  • ND: The Fighting Irish rank second in the ACC in 3-point percentage (38.0) 
  • RUT: The Scarlet Knights allow 65.8 points per game, which ranks second in the Big Ten

Why the Fighting Irish can cover

Cormac Ryan is on a roll. In the nine games since joining the starting lineup on Feb. 9, the 6-foot-5 senior from New York City is averaging 11.9 points per game while shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 50.0 percent on 3-pointers. He also is pulling down 5.6 rebounds per game during that stretch.

In addition, Notre Dame faces a Rutgers team that has struggled away from home. The Scarlet Knights went 14-3 at home this season, including wins over No. 1 Purdue, No. 13 Michigan State, No. 16 Ohio State and No. 12 Illinois. However they went just 4-10 away from Piscataway, N.J.

Why the Scarlet Knights can cover

Rutgers is one of the best defensive teams in the conference. The Scarlet Knights allow 65.8 points per game, which ranks second in the Big Ten. They also give up just 95.5 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 43rd in the nation.

In addition, Rutgers faces a Notre Dame team that struggles on the offensive glass. The Fighting Irish average just 7.2 offensive rebounds per game. That ranks last in the conference and 334th in the country (out of 350 teams).

How to make Notre Dame vs. Rutgers picks

Roberts is leaning over on the point total, but his much stronger play is on the spread. He's found a critical x-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back on Wednesday. He's only sharing what it is, and which side of the Rutgers vs. Notre Dame spread to back, at SportsLine.

So who wins Rutgers vs. Notre Dame? And what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Rutgers vs. Notre Dame spread you should jump on Wednesday, all from the former Vegas bookmaker who is 31-16 with his last 47 college basketball picks, and find out.