The Rutgers Scarlet Knights play the Creighton Bluejays in the quarterfinals of the College Basketball Crown from Las Vegas, Nevada. Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
Creighton is favored by -4.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -180. The total is set at 151.5 points.
Here’s my Rutgers vs. Creighton predictions and college basketball picks for April 2, 2026.
Rutgers vs Creighton Prediction
My Pick: Under 151.5
My Rutgers vs Creighton best bet is on the under. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Rutgers vs Creighton Odds
| Rutgers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -110 | 151.5 -108o / -112u | +150 |
| Creighton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -110 | 151.5 -108o / -112u | -180 |
- Rutgers vs Creighton spread: Creighton -4.5
- Rutgers vs Creighton over/under: 151.5 points
- Rutgers vs Creighton moneyline: Rutgers +150, Creighton -180
Rutgers vs Creighton Polymarket Odds
Current odds: RUT 38% · CRE 63% · NCAAB
View full market & place a bet on Polymarket
Use Polymarket invite code Action to get early access and bypass 1 million+ people on the waitlist. Our Polymarket invite code also unlocks a trading bonus: Deposit $20, Get $20 Bonus!
Rutgers vs Creighton College Basketball Betting Preview
The 2025-26 season was a bumpy one for Rutgers, finishing with a 14-19 record and a 122nd ranking in KenPom.
Scoring proved to be an adventure for the Scarlet Knights, as they ranked 142nd in offensive efficiency and struggled to find high-quality shots. That led to a 47% effective field goal percentage (326th), and they also shot 46% from 2-point range and 32% from downtown.
The lack of a true scoring big man haunted Rutgers. Emmanuel Ogbole was fine at the center spot, but he's nothing more than a lob threat. With how good Tariq Francis is at getting to the hoop, having a pick-and-pop option would have suited Rutgers well.
Instead, Francis usually had to fend for himself. He led the team with 16.9 points per game, and nobody else on the roster reached double figures.
I also expect Steve Pikiell to get creative in the Crown. While the Crown is far from March Madness, it'll give the coach a chance to see his young players more.
That means we may see freshman guards Lino Mark, Harun Zrno and Kaden Powers, who played decent minutes late in Big Ten action.
Pikiell is known for his defensive ethos, but this team lacked on that end, ranking 118th in defensive efficiency, which is his worst in his nine years in Piscataway. Rutgers usually excels at holding teams from scoring inside, but it dipped to 222nd in 2-point defense this season.
Meanwhile, a legendary coaching career is coming to an end in Omaha. Greg McDermott, who spent 16 seasons with Creighton, will coach his final games this week in Las Vegas.
As usual, a McDermott-coached team will let it fly from deep, as the Bluejays attempt 3s at a 48% rate while connecting on 34% of them. Guard Austin Swartz (10.9 PPG) is a pivotal part of this Creighton offense, as the best shooter on the team.
Swartz is one of four Creighton players in double-digits. Alongside him is Josh Dix, who leads the way with 13 points per game and will use his 6-foot-6 frame to score against Rutgers' smaller guards.
Nik Graves also pitches in 10.3 points and leads the team with over four assists per game.
The real difference maker could be Jasen Green, a physical forward who can score on this weak Rutgers interior.
Creighton is 93rd in defensive efficiency and struggled to defend the arc, as opponents shot 35% from 3 against it. I doubt Rutgers can shoot enough to make Creighton pay for its defensive issues.
One thing that's worth noting is the layoff for these two teams. The final game for both teams was on March 12 — three weeks from their season-ending losses in conference tournaments to the Crown. We saw the rust in those first few games, and I expect more rust with worse teams in this game.
Give me the under. Both teams sit about in the middle of the pack in tempo, and the layoff could lead to some shooting struggles.
My Pick: Under 151.5
