This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
Riding a hot streak, starting the year at 11-4 with his picks, Steve Peralta returns to analyze a pair of matchups on Wednesday's college hoops slate. Here are his best bets of the day.
Georgetown at 
Rutgers
The Hoyas finally have a new direction this season, hiring former Providence coach Ed Cooley as their new head coach. It's hard to argue the change wasn't needed, after Georgetown endured two of its worst seasons in program history, losing 37 of 39 conference games in the past two years combined. Considering how last season went, it's only natural that Georgetown ranks among the lowest in the country in returning minutes. One would think it's harder to do worse than last year, but the Hoyas already lost its second game of the season as 17-point home favorites against Holy Cross, 68-67. Coach Cooley has proven that he knows how to build a winning program, but it seems unlikely it will happen overnight.
While Rutgers didn't lose to Holy Cross, it did lose to Princeton in the season-opener, 68-61, so the Scarlet Knights also have plenty of flaws that they need to work on. Rutgers has responded like a good team should, winning its next two games with smothering defense, holding each opponent to under 60 points. Through three games this season, the Scarlet Knights are holding opponents to 36.3 percent shooting and 56.7 points per game.
When looking at each team's strengths and weaknesses, it's hard to expect an abundance of scoring in this matchup. Both teams rank outside the top 100 in adjusted offensive efficiency, while Rutgers once again ranks high in defense, currently 35th in adjusted efficiency. Holy Cross, for comparison, ranks No. 349 in defensive efficiency, nearly last among all D1 teams. Considering that Georgetown only scored 67 points against the Crusaders, it's hard to imagine the Hoyas cracking 60 points at Rutgers. On the other side of the court, coach Cooley often has his teams ready to play on defense. At one point during his tenure at Providence, the Friars finished in the top 50 of defensive efficiency in six consecutive seasons.
This matchup comes down to two simple points. Rutgers has solidified itself as a stout defensive team under head coach Steve Pikiell. And Georgetown needs time to rebuild. For these reasons, I'm laying the points with Rutgers and taking the under. The number started ticking downward on Tuesday evening, but I'd still consider it down to 133 or so.
College Basketball Best Bet: Rutgers -8.5 and Under 135
Rice at 
Texas
Rice is among the most experienced and cohesive teams in the country, ranking 12th in experience and 60th in returning minutes among all D1 teams. This is important because the Owls return four starters from last year's team, one that finished 19-16 on the season and ranked No. 112 in adjusted offensive efficiency. Based on these numbers, we can reasonably expect this year's team will once again put up a ton of points throughout the season.
Despite the high-scoring expectations, the Owls fell to Harvard at home in their most recent game, losing 89-76. The loss undoubtedly stings, but Rice still flashed its high-scoring potential and put up a fight. The Owls trailed by as many as 18 points before they rallied and took the lead. Unfortunately, the lead didn't last, and Harvard finished the game on a 25-12 run. In hindsight, it's no surprise that Rice couldn't close out the game considering its defensive struggles last season, ranking 324th in the nation last year in points allowed per game.
Texas, meanwhile, picked up right where it left off last season, playing exceptionally well on both ends of the court through the first two games of the season. Texas returns two starters from last year's team and brought in star player Max Abmas for an additional boost, so all signs point to Texas once again contending for a Big 12 title.
Aside from the strengths and weaknesses of each team, another noteworthy component is the projected pace. Texas is currently playing at the 11th quickest tempo in the country on offense, per KenPom, with Rice coming in at No. 108 in overall tempo. Under head coach Scott Pera, Rice has consistently played at a fast tempo in each of the past six years, so we can expect this trend to continue.
Overall, this matchup has all the makings of an extremely high-scoring game. Texas already torched its first two opponents, scoring over 85 points in both games, and Rice's defensive numbers aren't significantly better than Incarnate Word or Delaware State. There's a chance that the Longhorns keep the lid on Rice and hold the game under, but I'm betting that Rice will force a fast-paced game and Texas will happily oblige. The number's high, but I'm taking the over in this spot.
College Basketball Best Bet: Over 154
Wednesday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Wednesday:
- Rutgers -8.5
- Georgetown at Rutgers - Under 135
- Rice at Texas - Over 154
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball betting odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the college basketball odds page on RotoWire.
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