Michigan State Spartans vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights Prediction, Odds and Picks

Vote on who will cover the spread!

Point Spread Pick

There is a lot going on with the football program in East Lansing. The Spartans are still looking for their first Big Ten win this season, but with the ongoing Mel Tucker saga serving as a distraction and an abundance of injuries… even a squad like Rutgers could give them fits. The Scarlet Knights have been much improved this season going 3-0 in non-conference with a win in Big Ten play already. Rutgers certainly prefers the run game, averaging 173.3 rush yards per game. The passing game has been questionable behind QB Gavin Wimsatt’s low 51.8% completion percentage, but the offense has been afforded several run-first opportunities thanks to some stout defense. The Scarlet Knights rank 14th in total defense allowing just 282.7 yards per game and 4.46 yards per play. 

I expect Rutgers to come out in front of a home crowd and build an early lead, allowing the Scarlet Knights to lean on the run game and allow the defense to do what they do best: get stops. Sparty is dysfunctional right now. There are 17 Michigan State players listed on the injury report with 10 already confirmed to be out. That’s a tough adjustment to make with an interim head coach. The way I see it: I’m fading Sparty until they prove they are a capable football team, and I’m riding the Scarlet Knights until they give me a reason not to. Rutgers is one of only 5 teams unbeaten against the spread this season (5-0-1). With all things considered, I’m taking Rutgers to cover the spread.

Rutgers -4.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Ryan is a die-hard sports fan with a passion for crunching numbers and finding winning picks. He works on the Pickswise social media team and recently began handicapping MLB games. He has years of experience delivering winning picks in both college football and the UFC and is looking to expand his areas of expertise. For Ryan Bunnell media enquiries, please email [email protected].