Rutgers Opens as 23.5 Point Underdogs on Homecoming

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FanDuel has released its odds for Rutgers’ upcoming homecoming game on Saturday, October 3, with the Scarlet Knights being listed as 23.5-point underdogs against the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers. The homecoming game will also double as the blackout game.

The Knights are coming into this game after securing their first win of the season in dominant 58-7 fashion over a poor Howard team. Rutgers has been playing its best football of the season the past two games, putting up a respectable 42-35 performance against USC after starting the season with losses to Boston College and UMass.

Over the past two games, Rutgers quarterback Dylan Lonergan has completed 30 of 53 passes for 466 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Unfortunately, those interceptions have come in back-breaking moments, costing USC 14 points in what would be a 7-point loss for the Knights. Running back Antwan Raymond and wide receiver KJ Duff have looked as good as ever, with Raymond earning 262 yards rushing and Duff adding 217 yards through the air. Even the Knights’ defense has looked marginally better, getting a few stops against a high-powered Trojan offense.

Even with all of those improvements, Rutgers will have to take a significant leap forward if they hope to hang with Indiana. Despite not looking their best last week, the Hoosiers still pulled off a win against a scrappy Northwestern Wildcats team. In their three games beforehand, Indiana decimated lower-level teams like Howard, North Texas, and Western Kentucky by a total combined score of 145-16.

Over the course of four games, Hoosier quarterback Josh Hoover has thrown for 850 yards, 11 touchdowns, and zero interceptions while completing 56 out of his 80 total passes. Indiana’s rushing leader is Lee Beebe Jr., who, while splitting carries with Turbo Richard (who left last week’s game due to injury), has run for 398 yards and three touchdowns on 71 carries. Charlie Becker leads Indiana in receiving yards and touchdowns, recording 19 catches for 370 yards and six touchdowns so far this season. Tobi Osusanmi leads Indiana in sacks so far this season with three, while Ryland Grandy leads in passes defended with two.

When both teams are stacked up against one another, the opening spread seems a bit generous to the Rutgers cause. Even with the Knights playing better, both teams’ talent levels, at least on paper, seem a little more lopsided than the spread suggests.

Rutgers vs Indiana will kick off at 8 p.m. this Saturday inside SHI Stadium. Live coverage for the game will be available on the Big Ten Network

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