Michigan vs. Rutgers Picks, Predictions College Football Week 10: Wolverines Expected to Dominate?
There have been rampant questions of Michigan's opening position of No. 5 in the College Football Playoff ranking despite a rather soft schedule. That won't get any tougher with Week 10's visit to Rutgers. Read on for our top Michigan-Rutgers picks and predictions.
Michigan (8-0, 5-0) was ranked fifth in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. That was the subject of much debate, considering the Wolverines have beaten just one currently-ranked opponent (Penn State) all season, and their non-conference wins are against teams that are a combined 8-18.
Meanwhile, Rutgers (4-4, 1-4) has lost four of its last five games and is coming off its first shutout loss of the season, falling 31-0 to Minnesota.
Here are our top picks for the college football Week 10 game between Michigan and Rutgers (odds via BetMGM and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Check out our college football best bets and all of our top picks for Week 10.
Michigan vs. Rutgers Game Info
Date: Saturday, Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: BTN
Location: SHI Stadium, Piscataway, NJ
Weather: 75 degrees, 9% chance of precipitation, 7-mph SSW wind
Michigan vs. Rutgers Odds
Michigan vs. Rutgers Odds Analysis
Despite little support for the Scarlet Knights from the betting market, the consensus spread has dropped from Michigan -27 to -26 as of Saturday morning. Eighty-nine percent of the tickets account for 82% of the handle on Michigan.
The Over/Under dropped from 46.5 to 44.5 despite 87% of the bets and 65% of the cash are on the Over.
Michigan vs. Rutgers Picks
- Spread: Michigan -26 (-110 via PointsBet)
- Over/Under: Under 45.5 (-105 via BetMGM)
- Prop: Michigan team total Over 35.5 (-115 via DraftKings)
Michigan vs. Rutgers ATS Pick
Michigan -26 (-110) ★★★
Seven or fewer points decided three of the eight head-to-head matchups between Michigan and Rutgers since 2014. That includes Michigan's all-too-narrow 20-13 win last September. However, the Wolverines also have three other wins over the Scarlet Knights by a combined 172-7 margin in that span. This year's matchup has more of a chance to play out similarly to those meetings than this being a tight contest.
Michigan ranks in the top nine among all FBS teams in scoring offense and scoring defense. It entered Week 8 with a plus-214 point differential, the school's highest through seven games since 2016. Its toughest test to date was a visit from Penn State, which entered that game ranking second in the conference with 80 rushing yards allowed per game. However, the Wolverines bullied the Nittany Lions for a whopping 418 rushing yards and a 7.6 yards-per-carry average. The Wolverines should do the same to a diminutive Scarlet Knights front that was just gashed for 253 yards on the ground by Minnesota.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh loves making statements in road games against Rutgers, as he has adamantly talked about how important these games are for recruiting the NJ/NY area. Rutgers fans have not forgotten Harbaugh running up the score in a 78-0 road victory in 2016, but unfortunately, the Scarlet Knights will not do much to prevent another blowout.
Michigan vs. Rutgers O/U Pick
Under 45.5 (-105) ★★★★
Rutgers fired its offensive coordinator a couple of weeks ago. While it led to immediate returns in a home win against Indiana, the Scarlet Knights' offense reverted back to its old form against Minnesota.
Rutgers totaled just 134 yards last week and ran zero plays in the red zone. The Golden Gophers ran 29 more plays than Rutgers after forcing three-and-outs on 30% of the Scarlet Knights' drives. Rutgers faced a blitz just 13.8% of the time, which resulted in an average of 13.9 air yards per pass. However, the Scarlet Knights did little with those opportunities, posting a 37.5% completion rate and a 19% success rate or worse against zone and man coverage.
The Under cashed in 12 of Rutgers' last 17 conference games and should cash once again as it will oblige with not contributing many points.
Michigan vs. Rutgers Prop Pick
Michigan team total Over 35.5 (-115) ★★
Michigan has a combined 36% red-zone touchdown rate over the last two weeks but has still averaged 35 points per game in that span. Imagine what type of numbers this offense would produce if it finished drives more consistently.
Michigan ran 25 more plays than Michigan State last week, and with Rutgers' defense being on the field for 74 plays against Minnesota, that will have a cumulative effect on a Rutgers front seven that is not very deep. Look for the Wolverines to spring many explosive plays, and with positive regression in the red-zone scoring category, they should exceed their team total.
Where to Bet on Michigan vs. Rutgers Picks
Check out our top-rated sportsbooks:
Michigan-Rutgers picks made 11/02/2022 at 6:14 a.m. ET.
Related Articles
