Michigan State vs. Rutgers Pick
Can No. 21 Michigan State find a way to cover a two-touchdown spread on the road when it takes on Rutgers this Saturday at 4PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Michigan State is favored on the road in this game, as the Spartans are getting odds of -13.5 points against Rutgers on Saturday. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 40 points. Michigan State has won their last three meetings in this series and covered in two of those three wins. The public is currently putting 67 percent of the wagers for this game on Michigan State on the road. Saturday’s game takes place from High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey and will air live on FOX.
Michigan State is coming off a 17-7 win at home over Maryland last week to improve to 8-3 on the season and 6-2 in the Big Ten. The Spartans are 6-5 against the spread on the season and 1-3 ATS on the road. MSU has been led by its defense, which is allowing just 21.5 points and 314.6 yards per game. Offensively, Michigan State is putting up 21.5 points and 373.5 yards per contest. Brian Lewerke has thrown for 2,358 yards and 16 touchdowns this year while rushing for 433 yards and four scores. LJ Scott is the leading rusher with 731 yards and six touchdowns while Felton Davis III has 45 catches for 586 yards and eight scores.
Rutgers is coming off a 41-0 loss at Indiana last week to fall to 4-7 on the year and 3-5 in the Big Ten. The Knights are 8-3 against the spread this season and 3-2 ATS at home. Rutgers has struggled on offense this year, posting just 19 points and 276.4 yards per game. Giovanni Rescigno has been the QB in recent games, but has just 517 passing yards on 48.5 percent completion rate. As a team, Rutgers has just 1,289 passing yards for the season. Gus Edwards is the leading rusher on the team with 703 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, Rutgers is giving up 27.3 points and 395.6 yards per game, including 180 rushing yards per contest.
Bet on Michigan State vs. Rutgers
Michigan State should be able to lock up Rutgers in this game, but I worry about the MSU offense putting up enough points to cover. While the Knights have looked rough on defense in recent weeks, the MSU offense isn’t known for being real explosive. The Spartans have yet to win a conference game by more than 10 points. They are also just 1-7 against the spread in their last eight road games. Look for Rutgers to find a way to cover here.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: RUTGERS +13.5