The betting lines for next week’s college football games have been released, and Rutgers is listed as a 15.5-point underdog according to FanDuel. It is a little surprising that the spread isn’t wider, as the Scarlet Knights are set to face off against No.8 Oregon on Saturday.
Oregon (5-1) is coming off its first loss of the season after falling to then No. 7 Indiana at home 30-20. Despite the game being tied at 20 apiece in the fourth quarter, after Oregon’s Brandon Finney Jr. registered a pick-six,
Indiana was able to break through and score ten points to seal the game. Before that, Oregon pulled off an overtime win vs a then-ranked Penn State team. They also have four power wins against Oklahoma State, Oregon State, and Northwestern.
Rutgers, on the other hand, is coming off its third straight loss, putting them at 3-3 overall with a 0-3 record in Big Ten play. In their most recent game, the Knights fell 38-19 at Washington. The Rutgers defense struggled to contain the Huskies’ offense in the second half, while their offense got stuck in the red zone multiple times, only managing 13 points off of six drives that ended inside the 20-yard line.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is a similar build to the quarterbacks who have been ripping the Knights’ defense all season, as not only is he a prolific passer, he’s a gifted runner as well. He already has 1,395 passing yards on the year, along with 95 rushing yards as well.
Oregon’s defense is like nothing Rutgers has seen so far this season. They have a knack for generating turnovers, as they have registered six picks and one fumble recovery this season. Three of those interceptions have been brought back for touchdowns. A large part of what forced these costly errors is the Ducks’ ability to pressure the quarterback, as they have registered 10 sacks on the year. Rutgers’ offense will need to show improvement from last week if it hopes to move the ball against Oregon.
Either it will be an uphill battle for the Knights in front of a sold-out homecoming crowd for Rutgers. The game is set to kick off on Saturday at 6:30 inside SHI Stadium.
