Rutgers and Ohio are facing off on Thursday night of Week 1. The game will take place at 6:00 P.M. EDT in Piscataway, New Jersey. Rutgers is looking for their third straight season going to a bowl game, and they start that campaign against the MAC’s Ohio Bobcats.
The Scarlet Knights are 15.5-point home favorites in this game on the DraftKings Sportsbook. Rutgers is a -700 favorite on the Moneyline, and the total is set at 49.5 points. This is a preview, prediction, and pick for this Rutgers-Ohio game.
Rutgers vs. Ohio Preview
Rutgers Preview
Greg Schiano has gotten Rutgers football back on track. He has made a bowl game in three of the past four seasons, and Rutgers’ seven wins last year was their most in a regular season since 2014. Rutgers lost their star running back, Kyle Monangai, to the NFL. Other than that, the team has a tremendous amount of returning production, including quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. That level of continuity from last season should allow this team to hit the ground running and pick up where they left off last season. Kaliakmanis is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the nation and has a great wide receiver duo, Ian Strong and KJ Duff, to throw to. They have some real talent that they brought in on the defensive line through the transfer portal, which should give them a big edge against a MAC opponent in the trenches.
Ohio Preview
This could be a massive rebuilding season for Ohio. The Bobcats return their quarterback, Parker Navarro, but have very few returning starters elsewhere. On the defensive side of the ball, Ohio has just one returning starter, making that unit a complete rebuild. After doing a great job at Ohio for many years as a coordinator and then head coach, Tim Albin left to take the head coaching job at the University of Charlotte. The Bobcats promoted internally, making OC Brian Smith their new head coach. The internal hire is good for the sake of familiarity with the players, but this will be Smith’s first season as a head coach. There are so many unknowns on this team, including on the sideline, which could make this a rough season for the Bobcats and their fans.
Rutgers vs. Ohio Pick
My best bet for this game is for Rutgers to cover the spread as 15.5-point favorites. One team is returning their coaches and plenty of starters on both sides of the ball, while the other team has a new head coach and new players at almost every position. In Week 1, that gives the team with continuity a massive leg up, especially when they are already the more talented team. Greg Schiano should have his defense ready for this game, and they can dominate on the defensive line against an Ohio offensive line with four new starters. Athan Kaliakmanis should pick up where he left off at the end of last season and pick apart this Ohio secondary full of new faces. Rutgers has a tough Big Ten schedule ahead, so they will want to leave no doubt in this game as big favorites to start the season.
