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rutgers scarlet knights vs nebraska cornhuskers-prediction-pick-odds-ncaaf-saturday october 5

Rutgers vs Nebraska Predictions and Picks: Why to Back the ‘Dog

The undefeated Rutgers Scarlet Knights take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 4:o0 p.m. ET on FS1.

Nebraska enters this Week 6 contest as a 7-point favorite on the spread, while the total sits at 41.

So, where’s the betting value? Let’s dive into my Nebraska vs. Rutgers predictions and college football picks for Saturday.

Rutgers vs Nebraska Odds, Pick

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  • Rutgers vs Nebraska spread: Nebraska -6.5
  • Rutgers vs Nebraska over/under: 38.5 points
  • Rutgers vs Nebraska moneyline: Nebraska -265
  • Rutgers vs Nebraska pick: Rutgers +7

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Rutgers Football

The Scarlet Knights just keep winning.

It is not always pretty, but this team gets the job done. They opened the season with back-to-back blowout wins over Howard and Akron, but the level of competition was fair to question prior to their latest victories over Virginia Tech and Washington.

Consecutive three-point wins aren’t program-altering results, but it is a step in the right direction for a program that has been patiently waiting to turn the corner.

And they will also have a chance against the Cornhuskers, as long as their offense continues to hold up its end of the bargain.

Rutgers has been stellar on that end this season, ranking 25th in Rush Success Rate and 19th in Pass Success Rate. The Scarlet Knights should find success on the ground as Nebraska’s defense is ranked just 71st against opposing rushers on the season.

That’s music to running back Kyle Monangai‘s ears. He’s quietly been one of the best workhorse backs in all of college football.

Monangai has 97 carries through four games, totaling 589 yards and averaging 6.1 yards per rush. He has scored a rushing touchdown in each game, and Rutgers isn’t afraid to make him the bell cow game in and game out.

Monangai has rushed the ball 27, 26 and 25 times over the past three weeks. Given Nebraska’s shaky run defense, this feels like another game where Rutgers will repeatedly lean on Monangai to grind out yards on the ground.

And that will likely be a good formula for success.

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Nebraska Football

On the other side, Nebraska is still searching for its identity.

Quarterback Dylan Raiola is an electric arm talent, and Nebraska ranks 20th in Pass Success on the year, but he’s been error prone at times. Against Illinois, Raiola missed some key throws to open receivers, which cost his team overtime. He also ran into sacks and was taken down six times in that game.

Patrick Mahomes impersonations aside, Raiola is one of the most promising young arms in football, but promise isn’t a guaranteed path to wins against good football teams, which Rutgers may be.

The Scarlet Knights have plenty of holes defensively, but have been surprisingly stout against passing attacks. Rutgers ranks 17th in Pass Success Rate allowed.

Nebraska’s success offensively will likely come down to its ability to run the football, but its lead back has been trending in the wrong direction.

After rushing for at least four yards per carry in each of the first games this season, Dante Dowdell finished at 3.6 yards per rush against Illinois, then had a miserable nine-carry, 21-yard performance at Purdue.

If Dowdell can’t get going in the run game, this contest will come down to Raiola’s ability to make plays against a good secondary, something he has yet to do this season.

Nebraska vs Rutgers Matchup Analysis

Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Nebraska and Rutgers match up statistically:

Rutgers Offense vs. Nebraska Defense
Offense
Defense
Edge
Rush Success 25 71
Line Yards 46 77
Pass Success 19 49
Havoc 6 37
Finishing Drives 45 27
Quality Drives 35 13
Nebraska Offense vs. Rutgers Defense
Offense
Defense
Edge
Rush Success 50 120
Line Yards 48 111
Pass Success 20 17
Havoc 35 110
Finishing Drives 111 10
Quality Drives 42 20
Pace of Play / Other
PFF Tackling 74 41
PFF Coverage 34 28
Special Teams SP+ 79 131
Middle 8 35 26
Seconds per Play 29.8 (118) 29.1 (101)
Rush Rate 65% (10) 52% (66)
Data via CollegeFootballData.com, SP+, Pro Football Focus and SportSource Analytics.

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Lincoln is always a tough place to play, but Rutgers has already shown grit and resilience on the road, winning in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech.

Monangai will be featured and should have success against Nebraska’s weak rush defense, which will put lots of pressure on Raiola to step up and save the day.

Nebraska may win, but Rutgers will keep it within a score.

Pick: Rutgers +7

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How to Watch Nebraska vs Rutgers

Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
Date: Saturday, Oct. 5
Kickoff Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV / Streaming: FS1

College Football Betting Trends for Rutgers vs Nebraska

  • 56% of bets and 64% of the money are on the Rutgers to cover the spread
  • 98% of bets and 81% of the money on the moneyline are on the Nebraska to win outright
  • 51% of bets and 85% of the money are on the under

Betting trends via our live, updating NCAAF public betting & money percentages page.

Rutgers vs Nebraska Weather

[gameforecast league=”ncaaf” gameid=”226788″ date=”20241005″][/gameforecast]

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