Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 11/26/24

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. Both teams are coming off ugly losses, with Rutgers losing on the road against Kennesaw State as 14-point favorites and Notre Dame being stunned at home against Elon as 15-point favorites. Both teams will look to right the ship here, and there is value to be had on a particular side.

Although each of these teams are working through problems of their own, it looks like the Scarlet Knights are having a more difficult time to begin the season. This Steve Pikiell led defense has taken a bit of a dip so far this year, and that is a big concern for a program that typically leans on that side of the ball. Rutgers has finished top 10 in KenPom’s defensive ratings the last 2 seasons, but they currently sit at 72nd this season. The offensive side looks improved with the added talent, led by a pair of 5-star Freshmen in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. While there is optimism for Pikiell’s squad on this side of the floor, they haven’t completely figured things out and the Scarlet Knights are extremely reliant on their transition game (93rd percentile in transition frequency, per Synergy). They will not have an easy time speeding this game up, as the Fighting Irish allow transition in just the 2nd percentile in the nation.

Notre Dame has the continuity edge in this contest, and I am willing to give them a pass for their loss against Elon. The Irish will keep lesser teams in games due to their slow pace (293rd in tempo, per KenPom), but it also allows them to compete with almost anyone in the country. Their ability to operate in the halfcourt and the fact that coach Micah Shrewsberry has a great track record as an underdog throughout his career leads to the side of Notre Dame +2.

Notre Dame +2 (-110) at time of publishing, playable to PK