The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are hosting the Michigan Wolverines in a Big Ten matchup in Week 9. The game kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in Piscataway, New Jersey.
The Wolverines are listed as 15.5-point road favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 45.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and best bet for this Week 9 matchup.
Rutgers vs. Michigan Prediction, Preview
Michigan Preview
It has been a disappointing season for Michigan so far. Michigan is 1-3 in Big Ten play, and their miracle win over Western Michigan is the only reason they even have a winning record. The quarterback change from Bryce Underwood to Tommy Carr provided an initial spark, but the Wolverines failed to find the end zone in last week’s loss to Indiana. Michigan ranks 115th in the nation in offensive yards/play and has been completely incapable of scoring against anyone besides UTEP this season. The Wolverines still have a great defense, but it has not been enough to supplement the struggling offense.
Rutgers Preview
Rutgers is also having a poor season in 2026. Their lone conference win came against Maryland, and they are coming off a blowout loss to Northwestern. The defense has been a major issue for Rutgers so far. Rutgers ranks 135th out of 138 teams in defensive yards/play this season. Greg Schiano will be doing everything in his power to improve the defense ahead of this big home matchup against Michigan, but it seems as if the talent just isn’t quite there. The Scarlet Knights have been better offensively, but that production has not been enough to overcome their defensive struggles. It is the inverse of what is going on with Michigan.
Rutgers vs. Michigan Pick, Best Bet
My best bet for this game is for Michigan and Rutgers to finish under the total of 45.5 points. Michigan’s defense should dominate in this game. Rutgers is decent offensively, but Michigan ranks second in the country in defensive yards/play. Michigan is allowing just 15.7 points per game this season, and nobody has scored more than 20 points against the Wolverines.
On the other hand, Michigan lacks explosiveness on offense. Even against a poor Rutgers defense, Michigan should just move it methodically on the ground. While nobody has scored more than 20 points against Michigan, the Wolverines have also not scored more than 21 points against anyone besides UTEP this season.
In a road Big Ten game, Michigan should play quite conservatively here. They know that they can shut down the Rutgers offense, so they should punt on every fourth down and run the ball early and often. Rutgers’ only real path to winning this game is if Michigan turns the ball over. That should lead to a conservative game plan, which should lead to Michigan winning a low-scoring game. The final score of this game should be something like 27-10 Michigan.
