Hoping to extend their flawless record, the No. 4 Michigan State Spartans (5-0) travel to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-2). The Big 10’s third-leading receiver, Aaron Burbridge (414 yards, 4 TDs), will be featured in this game. It kicks off Saturday, Oct 10 at 8:00 p.m. ET and will be shown on BTN and BTN2.
In its last game before the bye, Rutgers defeated Kansas 27-14. Matt Flanagan had a solid performance in the victory, pulling in two receptions for 15 yards and one TD. Robert Martin also had a great game with 102 rushing yards on 17 carries. Michigan State also won last week’s performance, squeaking by Purdue 24-21. LJ Scott had a great game running the ball for the Spartans, rushing 18 times for 146 yards and two TDs.
The Spartans are favored by 17 points against the Scarlet Knights this week and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable currently.
Sitting at 2-2 Straight Up (SU) and 1-3 Against The Spread (ATS), the Scarlet Knights will look to improve heading into Week 6. When the Scarlet Knights pass the ball, they do so at a high percentage. They complete passes 73.0% of the time they throw, second in the nation. In the third quarter, Rutgers is a tough test, putting up 10.2 points during the third frame. Special teams is a weakness for Michigan State that the Scarlet Knights may use to their advantage. On average, the Spartans have allowed 122.4 return yards per game.
As for their opponent, the Spartans are a terrible bet ATS with a perfect record of 0-5 to go along with a 5-0 SU record. The Michigan State defense will take advantage of every opportunity the Scarlet Knights give them. The Spartans generate 2.2 turnovers per game, 25th in the country. Yellow flags will likely be a common sight during any game with Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are one of the most penalized teams in the country with 9.5 calls per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Michigan State, ATS Winner – Rutgers
Notes
Rutgers is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games.
Rutgers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
Rutgers is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Rutgers’s last 6 games at home.
Michigan State is 5-0 SU when leading at the half this season. Rutgers is 2-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Among all FBS teams, the Rutgers offensive passing game is ranked 68th in the nation, while the Michigan State pass defense is only ranked 90th. The Spartans passing attack is ranked 92nd, compared to the 109th-ranked pass defense of the Scarlet Knights.
