How and what to watch for Nebraska at Rutgers

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will try to end the regular season on a two-game winning streak when they play the Nebraska Cornhuskers Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET in Piscataway, NJ.

Rutgers (3-5) is coming off of a hard-fought 27-24 overtime victory over the Maryland Terrapins last week. The Scarlet Knights got an excellent performance on the ground as they rushed for 235 yards. Running back Isaih Pacheco led the way with 79 yards on 18 carries. Pacheco also had five receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown.

However the team’s second-leading rusher was wide receiver Bo Melton, who produced 62 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Melton also led the Scarlet in receiving with five receptions for 45 yards. They will need a similar performance on Friday against a Nebraska defense, which gave up 206 rushing yards last week to Minnesota.

As for the Cornhuskers (2-5), they lost 24-17 last week to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, which were missing a bunch of players. Nebraska’s lone source of offense once again was dual-threat quarterback Adrian Martinez.

Martinez was 16-of-27 for 111 yards and a touchdown. He also was the team’s leading rusher with 96 yards and a touchdown. Furthermore, his lone touchdown pass went to tight end Austin Allen. Defensively, the Cornhuskers did not have an answer for Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim, who had a game-high 108 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Luckily for Nebraska, they won’t be facing a running back of Ibrahim’s caliber on Friday, as the Scarlet Knights are only averaging 141.6 rushing yards per game.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch Nebraska vs. Rutgers on Friday, December 18th at 7:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network, or you can stream it via Fox Sports Go app with a cable or streaming service login.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: Nebraska -6.5 vs. Rutgers
Point Total: 54
Money line: Nebraska vs. Rutgers

• Dating back to last season, the Cornhuskers have a record of 5-11 against the spread in their last 16 games.
• However, this season, the point total went under in five of Nebraska’s last seven games.
• As for the Scarlet Knights, they are much better against the spread, with a record of 6-3 in their last nine games.
• But when it comes to the moneyline, Rutgers has not been great over the last two seasons, with a record of 4-15 straight up in its last 19 games.

Betting splits

Nebraska: (67% of handle, 45% percent of bets)
Rutgers: (33% of handle, 55% percent of bets)

The Best Bet

This game between Nebraska and Rutgers should be close as neither team has a dominant aspect of their offense. If the Scarlet Knights can contain Adrian Martinez and create some turnovers, they will have a great chance to win. This season, Rutgers is averaging 1.9 takeaways per game, which is good for 29th in the country. However, can the Scarlet Knights create big plays on offense? I’m not sure, which leads me to take the under for this game.

Pick: Under 54

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/MI/PA/WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA) or Call or Text the TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789. 21+ (18+ NH). NJ/PA/WV/IA/IN/CO/IL/TN/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.