Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Maryland Terrapins Prediction & Match Preview - December 14, 2020 | NCAA Men's Basketball

Match Details

Fixture: Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Maryland Terrapins - NCAA Men's Basketball

Date & Time: Monday, December 14 at 6PM ET

Venue: XFinity Center, College Park, Maryland

The No. 20 Rutgers Scarlet Knights are on the road Monday to face their conference foe Maryland Terrapins. Rutgers is off to an uncharacteristic 4-0 start, earning their way into the top 25 for the first time since the beginning of the 1979 season.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Preview

The Scarlet Knights have not been a conference champion since 1991 when they were in the Atlantic-10. They will have to go through some of the top ranked teams in the country if they want a chance at a Big Ten title this season. Their first test, however, comes on Monday against a strong Maryland Terrapins team.

"The sky is the limit for this team."Ron Harper Jr. (@__RHJR) joined @TheAndyKatz after Tuesday night's win over Syracuse to talk undefeated @RutgersMBB's potential moving forward: pic.twitter.com/5KcCoNVuBA

— Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) December 9, 2020

The Scarlet Knights have gotten production out of so many players, seemingly a different one every night. There are no big stars on the team, just solid all-around teamwork and a fast-paced offense. If Rutgers can keep their intensity up against Maryland, they should find themselves with an advantage.

Key Player - Ron Harper Jr.

If a single player was to be the difference-maker in this game, Ron Harper Jr. is that player. He has been consistently excellent through his first four games, averaging 22 points and nearly 8 rebounds a game. Harper, a 6'6" guard, has shown the ability to finish at the rim and shoot with efficiency from beyond.

Rutgers v Michigan State

Harper and his Rutgers team need to make a statement on Monday with a victory in their first conference game. Expect the Scarlet Knights to come out of the gate with a purpose and put some big numbers on the board.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Predicted Lineup

Cliff Omoruyi, Paul Mulcahy, Ron Harper Jr., Montez Mathis, Jacob Young

Maryland Terrapins Preview

The Maryland Terrapins are coming off their first loss of the year, a game they lost by 16 to a very talented Clemson Tigers team. That brought the Terrapins' record to 4-1 on the season, and they should not be underestimated on Monday.

Turn the page. League play starts Monday. pic.twitter.com/v7GUdx2Fz2

— Maryland Basketball 🐢 (@TerrapinHoops) December 10, 2020

Aside from the loss, the Maryland Terrapins have outscored their opponents by a combined 89 points. Maryland is another team with no single star player but rather a collective effort to win games. The Terrapins have four starters averaging 10 points per game or higher.

Key Player - Hakim Hart

Hakim Hart will play a huge role for Maryland on Monday, not for his scoring ability, but rather his defense. If Hart can contain Ron Harper Jr. of Rutgers, the Terrapins are going to give Rutgers some problems.

Hakim Hart is the first Maryland player to score 30 points on 80% shooting since March 2004 (John Gilchrist). He had 33 pts on 11-13 FG. pic.twitter.com/wrZsnZo3BA

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 5, 2020

Hart has been playing with confidence this season, exploding for 33 points against the Saint Peters Peacocks on December 4. If Hart has another outing such as this, Rutgers could be in trouble.

Maryland Terrapins Predicted Lineup

Donta Scott, Eric Ayala, Hakim Hart, Darryl Morsell, Aaron Wiggins

Rutgers vs. Maryland Prediction

I expect this to be a battle down to the final seconds. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights, while starting strong, have notoriously been a middle-of-the-pack team. I predict a small upset, with Maryland taking down Rutgers in a very close game, 68-66.

How to watch Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Maryland Terrapins

The game will be broadcast live on the B1G Network, and live-streamed on the B1G App.