Notre Dame and Rutgers meet in a First Four matchup in the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament Wednesday.
The game is at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:10 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on TruTV.
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Notre Dame (22-10) is making its 13th tournament appearance under longtime coach Mike Brey. The Irish split their last six games and was knocked out of the ACC tournament in the quarterfinal round by Virginia Tech.
Rutgers (18-13) is back in the tournament for the second straight season. The Scarlet Knights are led by coach Steve Pikiell. Rutgers is 2-4 in its last four games and lost in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals.
Here's everything to know about betting on Notre Dame vs. Rutgers in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, including updated odds, trends and our prediction for the First Four game.
MORE: Bender's full bracket predictions
Notre Dame vs. Rutgers odds
- Spread: Rutgers -1
- Over/under: 131
- Moneyline: Rutgers -115, Notre Dame -105
Three betting trends to watch
—Notre Dame is 6-7 straight up (S/U) as an underdog, but they are 8-5 against the spread (ATS) in the same situation.
—Rutgers is 9-6 S/U as a favorite, but they are 3-11-1 ATS in the same situation.
—The Irish are 7-2 ATS in games where the spread is three points or less. Rutgers is 3-6 ATS in the same situation.
Notre Dame key players
Blake Wesley led the Irish this season with 14.6 points per game. He's one of three players who averaged double figures along with Dane Goodwin (13.9 ppg.) and Paul Atkinson (12.3 ppg.), who leads the Irish with 7.0 rebounds per game. Sixth man Nate Laszewski (46%) and Goodwin (44.8%) ranked in the top five in the ACC in three-point shooting percentage. Prentiss Hubb (9.1) and Cormac Ryan (8.4 ppg.) are excellent role players.
Rutgers key players
Ron Harper Jr. has made a name for himself with clutch shots this season for the Scarlet Knights. He leads Rutgers with 15.6 points per game, and he's added 5.9 rebounds per game. Guard Geo Baker adds 12.4 points and 3.8 assists per game. Clifford Omoruyi, a 6-11, 240-pound center, averages 11.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Paul Mulcahy (9.0 ppg.) and Caleb McConnell (6.5 ppg.) are role players in the offense.
Best individual matchup: Clifford Omoruyi vs. Paul Atkinson
Omoruyi has emerged as an inside presence for Rutgers. He had six double-doubles this season, and the Scarlet Knights were 4-2 in those games. He is also a shot-blocking presence (1.3 bpg.) against an undersized Notre Dame frontline. Atkinson was the Ivy League Player of the Year at Yale before transferring to Notre Dame. He had seven double-doubles this season, and the Irish are 5-2 in those games.
Notre Dame vs. Rutgers stat to know
Rutgers ranked 306th in the nation in three-point attempts, and they were 7-2 in games where they did not shoot more than 20 three-pointers. The Irish rank 94th in Division I in three-attempts, and they are 7-2 in games where they had 25 three-point attempts or more.
Get to know ... Dane Goodwin, G, Notre Dame
Goodwin did not start in the ACC tournament, but Brey likely will go back to the four-guard lineup against Rutgers. Goodwin is a four-year player who has improved his three-point shooting dramatically this season. Goodwin's father Damon is the winningest coach at Capital, a Division III school near Columbus, Ohio. This is a close-to-home game for the junior, and he should take advantage of it.
Notre Dame vs. Rutgers prediction
This is a fun First Four matchup, and Notre Dame will try to push the tempo and make it a 3-point contest if the shots are falling early. The Irish will build a half-time lead. But this is a show-case game for Harper, whose father Ron is an Ohio native who played at Miami, Ohio before a productive NBA career with the Cavaliers, Clippers and Bulls. Harper Jr. averages 17.6 ppg. in wins and 12.9 ppg. in losses. Harper turns it on in the second half, and Rutgers scores the second tournament victory for the Big Ten in as many nights.
Final score: Rutgers 65, Notre Dame 62
