How and what to watch for No. 17 Indiana vs. Rutgers

The #17 Indiana Hoosiers will look to start 2-0 in Big Ten play for the first time in a generation Saturday when they take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Piscataway, NJ. IU and RU both had improbable wins against Penn State and Michigan State respectively to kick off the regular season last week.

Indiana defeated #8 Penn State 36-35 in overtime on a controversial two-point conversion. Sophomore quarterback Michael Penix Jr. dove towards the pylon in overtime, breaking the plane, and giving the Hoosiers a top-10 upset win for the first time since 1987.

Penix Jr. completed 52.8 percent of his passes for 170 yards, a touchdown, and an interception against the Nittany Lions. His lone touchdown pass went to wide receiver Whop Philyor, and junior running back Stevie Scott III also played an instrumental role in the upset win.

Scott rushed for 845 yards last season, and recorded 57 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns against Penn State. But he could be in for a tough outing on Saturday as the Rutgers defense only gave up 50 yards on the ground to Michigan State. The Hoosiers might have to lean on the arm of Penix Jr. to lead them to another victory.

Rutgers will be looking to capitalize on their 38-27 upset win over Michigan State last Saturday. The Scarlet Knights and new/old head coach Greg Schiano jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead, and never looked back to secure their first Big Ten victory since 2017.

Rutgers worked hard on both sides of the ball forcing a whopping seven turnovers, and senior quarterback Noah Vedral completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 169 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Junior running back Isaih Pacheco added 61 rushing yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch No. 17 Indiana vs. Rutgers on Saturday, October 31st at 3:30 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network, and you can stream it via the Fox Sports Go app with a with a cable or streaming service login.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends*

Point spread: Indiana (-13) vs. Rutgers
Point Total: O/U 52.5
Money line: Indiana -495, Rutgers +401

* Consensus line not available at DraftKings because of New Jersey regulations

• Indiana is 8-3 against the spread in its last 11 games.
• The point total went over in Indiana’s last five road games.
• Rutgers is 4-8 against the spread in its last 12 games.
• Rutgers is 2-11 straight up in its last 13 road games.

The Best Bet

Both the Hoosiers and Scarlet Knights had impressive wins to start the season which should not go unnoticed. For Indiana, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. put the team on his back and made plays with his legs, which were the difference against Penn State. Rutgers capitalized off of seven turnovers by Michigan State, a good way to restart the Greg Schiano tenure. But its hard to see the Scarlet Knights forcing that many turnovers again on Saturday.

Pick: Indiana (-13)

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