Two contenders for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft will be on Peacock Tuesday as Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper lead Rutgers in a home matchup against Penn State.
The Scarlet Knights have suffered a few tight losses, but their star freshmen have remained highly productive as the team’s two leading scorers. The Nittany Lions, on the other hand, escaped non-conference play with only one loss and are coming off a big-time victory over a top-15 team in Purdue.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about this top-flight Big Ten matchup:
How to watch Penn State vs Rutgers college basketball
- When: Tonight, Tuesday, December 10
- Where: Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey
- Time: 7:00 PM ET
- Live Stream: Exclusively on Peacock
Dylan Harper points per game this season
Harper has been electric across the stat sheet to start this season. Harper is averaging 23.3 points per game on 50.7% shooting and 81% from the free-throw line. He is also contributing 4.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and a steal per night.
Bailey has flashed his elite skill set himself in the early going, scoring 17.9 points, six rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. His off-the-dribble game has shown itself in his shooting splits (45.4% FG, 36.7% from three, 80% on free throws).
Is Dylan Harper related to Ron Harper?
Dylan Harper is the second son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper. The elder Harper spent 15 seasons in the league, starting out with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers before winning three titles with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and concluding his run with two consecutive titles alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Penn State vs Rutgers basketball head-to-head record
According to Sports Reference, Penn State and Rutgers have played each other 75 times since the 1949-50 season. The Nittany Lions hold a 42-33 edge in that time with a plus-246 overall score differential.
Penn State vs Rutgers basketball odds and best bets
According to DraftKings, Rutgers is a -1.5-point favorite Tuesday.
Best Bet: Total points under 157. There are a few stats that support this pick:
- Rutgers’ defense has not been up to Steve Pikiell’s usual standard, but things slow down and get more difficult in conference play. Per DraftKings, 25 of Rutgers’ last 26 home conference games have gone under 155 points.
- Penn State has scored 75 or fewer points in each of its last 14 games against Rutgers. This year, the Nittany Lions average 95.5 points in their six home games vs. 79.3 in three neutral-site games. This will also be Penn State’s first true road game of the season, which could come as a shock to the system.
Penn State vs Rutgers basketball predictions
Penn State has quietly been one of the better teams in college basketball, racing out to an 8-1 start that includes decided victories over Virginia Tech and No. 11 Purdue. Rutgers, meanwhile, has stumbled in hitting the difficult part of its schedule, dropping three straight games to No. 7 Alabama, No. 17 Texas A&M and Ohio State.
However, those two ranked losses came by a combined nine points, and the loss at the Buckeyes was the first conference road game for a team led by freshmen. Back in their friendly confines and with a few character-building losses under their belt, the pick here is Rutgers in a tight one.
Rutgers men’s basketball home record 2024-25
The Scarlet Knights are a perfect 4-0 at home this season. In November, they beat Wagner, Saint Peter’s, Monmouth and Merrimack by an average margin of 15.25 points.
How can I watch Big Ten Basketball on Peacock?
You can watch Big Ten basketball games by first subscribing to Peacock. Then, either go to PeacockTV.com/Sports in your web browser or download the Peacock app on your phone, tablet, or streaming device and navigate to the Sports section. Find the LIVE game you want to watch and start streaming.
Are all Big Ten Basketball games available to watch on Peacock?
Peacock will stream 56 men’s basketball games and 26 women’s basketball games across the 2024-2025 season. Peacock subscribers will also get the first rounds of both the Big Ten Men’s & Women’s tournament live.
What devices does Peacock support?
You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.
Students, now you can get Peacock at a special discount — just $1.99/mo for 12 months. Visit Peacock to learn more and get started.
