Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Picks

The 1-1 Rutgers Scarlet Knights will go on the road Saturday night to face off with the 2-0 Ohio State Buckeyes at 7:30 PM ET in Ohio Stadium. You can tune into the inevitable blowout on the Big Ten Network. The Buckeyes have gotten up to 39-point home favorites and we’re expecting plenty of points with a 64.5 over/under. The Buckeyes are one of the best teams in the entire country and they’re going to punish Rutgers in this game. Let’s dive into how this game will go down and who will end up covering the spread. Make sure to check out the rest of my NCAAF Picks and Predictions for this weekend slate of games.

• Rutgers is 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games.
• Ohio State is 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games.
• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Ohio State’s last 6 games played in November.
• Ohio State is 10-5 ATS in their last 15 games played in week 10.

The Scarlet Knights are 1-1 through two games and their win over Michigan State looks a lot better after the Spartans beat the Wolverines the following week. They did lose to 17th-ranked Indiana, but they put up a pretty solid fight and the game was competitive deep into the second half. The point is that Rutgers have been a lot better than most expected, and they’ll get a very real test against Ohio State this week that will test them in every aspect.

The Scarlet Knights are going to struggle mightily in this game. The Ohio State Buckeyes defense is extremely talented and they’ll be hunting for turnovers constantly. I would be shocked if Ohio State doesn’t score at least once defensively. The Rutgers have turned the ball over six times through just two games and they must take better care of the ball if they want to cover.

QB Noah Vedral has been decent through two games, completing 61% of his passes for 299 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions. He isn’t very accurate with the football and is better off throwing short passes in this game. Ohio State will be in his face within a couple of seconds and the cornerbacks won’t be giving an inch. Vedral has also run it 23 times for 40 yards, and he must be more effective in every way against the Buckeyes.

It likely won’t work well, but Rutgers will at least try to run the ball. Isaih Pacheco has led the squad with 85 yards and two touchdowns. He’s complemented by Aaron Young and Kay’Ron Adams, who have been more efficient on a per-carry basis. The Scarlet Knights offensive line must step up and give these guys some protection. The Buckeyes have some elite pass rushers and some dogs in the middle that will cause constant disruptions.

The Buckeyes are one of the best teams in the entire country and they’re my pick to win the National Championship. The defense is one of the best in the entire country and you already know what the deal is offensively if you watched Justin Fields and company a season ago. He’s the most unstoppable player in college football. He hasn’t been shut down often, but can just run for 100+ yards with ease if he’s having any trouble through the air. He’s already up to 594 yards and six touchdowns through just two games with another 50 yards and a score on the ground. When the ND – Clemson game is on commercial, come watch the Justin Fields show.

Fields is insanely efficient with the football, completing 87.3% of his passes to this point. That won’t happen against the nation’s elite, but it very well might continue against Rutgers. Garrett Wilson (240 yards, TD) and Chris Olave (224 yards, 2 TD) are the Buckeyes two primary targets and the only two pass-catchers over five catches. Tight end Jeremy Ruckert has caught two touchdowns and he’s always a threat in the Red Zone. Olave and Wilson are two of the best receivers in the country and both will be over 100 yards in this game.

Ohio State can also run the ball, so you can’t just sit everyone back in coverage. Master Teague III is a former five-star recruit and he’s led the squad with 151 yards and three touchdowns. He’s joined by Oklahoma-transfer Trey Sermon, who’s added 104 yards of his own and two catches. Fields can also run it, but he will save the legs for later in the season. If Ohio State wants to cover in this game, they’ll need Teague and Sermon to punch a couple of scores in.

Defensively, Ohio State can attack from every level. Pete Werner is a monster at LB and he has elite instincts. Marcus Hooker is a beastly safety and he can cover receivers 1-on-1 without a problem. Tommy Togiai is a DT that will not only stuff the run, but also attack the QB. He’s up to three sacks in just two games and will be hunting for Vedral all game long.

I would take the Ohio State Buckeyes up to 50 points here. They’re going to demolish the Rutgers defense and with the shortened schedule, the Buckeyes are looking to get Fields his numbers. He should win the Heisman trophy and don’t be shocked if he picks up six touchdowns in this game. Rutgers is a mess offensively and they were lucky to win the game against Michigan State. They were beat handedly by an overrated Indiana team and I expect Ohio State to obliterate them here. Give me Ohio State as one of my favorite bets of the entire day.

I like the Buckeyes to find their way into the 50’s in this game and I trust the Scarlet Knights to fall into at least two scores. The number is high and we’re basically asking Ohio State to do all of the work. This Buckeyes offense is lethal enough and they will be running scores up with a shortened schedule. Give me the over here, though I would rather bet Ohio State against the spread.