Ohio (0-0) vs Rutgers (0-0)
August 28, 2025 at 06:00 PM EDT
The Line: Betting Odds: Rutgers -15 — Over/Under: 49.5
In this article we will formulate an Ohio vs Rutgers prediction for this College Football game on Thursday, August 28th at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this week 1 matchup.
Ohio Bobcats Betting Preview
The Ohio Bobcats went 11-3 (7-1) last season, which was tied for first in the MAC standings with Miami (OH). Ohio started the season with a 38-22 loss against Syracuse, but they were able to win 11 of their last 13 games to have a great season. The Bobcats defeated South Alabama, Morgan State, Akron, Central Michigan, Buffalo, Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, and Ball State in the regular season, while picking up losses against Syracuse, Kentucky, and Miami (OH) in the regular season. The Bobcats defeated Miami (OH) in the MAC Title game by a score of 38-3 and they won the Cure Bowl against Jacksonville State by a score of 30-27. Ohio scored 29.3 points per game in 2024, which was 53rd in the country, while they allowed 18.1 points against per game, which was ranked 13th in the nation.
Ohio had a fantastic 2024 season, but they will have a new head coach and they typically struggle in the first year of a new regime. The Bobcats will have Parker Navarro back under center this year, who is a dual threat quarterback that is one of the best in the conference. Ohio’s offense returns some solid production and even got a stud running back that transferred out of Ohio to come back. On the defensive side, the Bobcats lost most of their front seven, but they were able to use the transfer portal to rebuild. This defense should be solid, but I think it could take a couple of games to get rolling.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Betting Preview
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights were 7-6 (4-5) in 2024, which was tied for ninth in the Big 10 with USC and Washington. Rutgers opened the season with a 44-7 win over Howard and they won their first four games, but they had a four game losing streak in the middle of the season that set them back. The Scarlet Knights picked up wins against Morgan State, Akron, Virginia Tech, Washington, Minnesota, Maryland, and Michigan State in the regular season and they lost to Nebraska, Wisconsin, UCLA, USC, and Illinois. Rutgers did make the Rate Bowl, where they lost to Kansas State by a score of 44-41. Rutgers scored 28.9 points per game last year, which was 57th in the country, while they allowed 24.5 points against per game, which was 70th.
Rutgers does return their starting quarterback, Kaliakmanis, from last year, who threw for over 2,000 yards, but also had plenty of struggles. On the ground, Rutgers lost one of the best backs in the Big Ten, but they did pick up a solid transfer from FAU and the second string is also returning. The wide receiving core should be decent, but the offensive line is a big concern. On defense, Rutgers will have quite a few new starters, especially in the secondary, so the defensive line is going to be very important, especially in the first few weeks.
Why Rutgers will beat Ohio
- Rutgers has won each of its last seven season openers.
- Ohio has lost each of its last four road games against opponents from the Big Ten Conference.
- Rutgers has covered the spread in seven of its last eight season openers.
- Ohio has failed to cover the spread in each of its last three games against opponents from the Big Ten Conference.
- Ohio has lost the first half in each of its last three road games against opponents from the Big Ten Conference.
Total Points Facts
- Seven of Rutgers’ last eight games against teams from Ohio have gone OVER the total points line.
- Five of Ohio’s last six games have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- Rutgers ranked T32nd among FBS teams for 1st downs last season (293).
- Rutgers ranked 35th among FBS teams for red zone percentage against last season (78.6).
- Ohio ranked 8th among FBS teams for time of possession per game last season (32:44).
- Ohio ranked 9th among FBS teams for yards allowed per game last season (303.1).
Ohio vs Rutgers Prediction
Both of these teams come into this matchup with experienced starting quarterbacks, but both teams also have potential issues on defense. I think Ohio will be able to hang around in this game in the first half with Navarro under center, but I do think Rutgers will pull away in the second half. The Scarlet Knights will figure things out defensively and I think the running game is going to be a strength once again. Take Rutgers to cover at home.