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Greg Schiano leads the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in their first game of the year as they face Howard. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Howard-Rutgers prediction and pick.
Howard is coming off a solid year in 2023. They would go 6-6 and 4-1 in MEAC play, giving them a birth in the Celebration Bowl that they would lose to Florida A&M. Howard has been picked to finish second in the MEAC this year, as they attempt to have another winning year.
Meanwhile, Rutgers is coming off a highly successful year in 2023. It would be the first winning season for Greg Schiano since returning to Rutgers. They were 6-6 in the regular season but capped off the year with a win over Miami (FL) in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Howard-Rutgers Odds
Howard: +36.5 (-110)
Rutgers: -36.5 (-110)
Over: 49.5 (-110)
Under: 49.5 (-110)
How to Watch Howard vs. Rutgers
Time: 6:00 PM ET/ 3:00 PM PT
TV: Big Ten Network
Article Continues Below
Stream: fuboTV (Click Here for free trial)
Why The Howard Could Cover The Spread/Win
Howard will be making a change at quarterback going into this year, as Quinton Williams has graduated. The only quarterback on the roster that took snaps last year for Howard is Ja'Shawn Scroggins. Scroggins threw for just 56 yards last year but can run. He ran 12 times for 74 yards last year. Jaylon Tolbert saw time in 2022 and is the redshirt senior on the roster.
Still, this team is led by Eden James and Jarrett Hunter. Hunter was named pre-season MEAC offensive player of the year, while Eden James was named to the first team as well. Hunter ran 142 times last year for 626 yards and nine scored. Meanwhile, Eden James ran for 627 yards on 11 carries and two scored. Meanwhile, Kasey Hawthorne will be a weapon to contend with. The first-team all-MEAC wide receiver had 535 yards receiving, plus 185 rushing and eight total touchdowns.
On the defensive end, Jamel Stewart will be the main focus. He had 2.5 sacks last year and five quarterback hurries. He is joined on the line by Noah Miles who had two sacks last year. Further, Carson Hinton will be in the secondary. Not only did he have 1.5 sacks, but he also had an interception, which he returned for a touchdown and also forced a fumble and recovered one.
Why The Rutgers Could Cover The Spread/Win
Rutgers will be led by Athan Kaliakmanis. Kaliakmanis comes in as a transfer from Minnesota. He was solid last year, but not great. Kaliakmanis threw for 1,838 yards and 14 touchdowns but did have nine interceptions. He also ran for 94 yards and two scores last season. His main target will be Christian Dremel. He was the leading receiving for Rutgers last year, coming away with 36 receptions, 468 yards, and three scores.
The running game will be the focus for Rutgers. Kyle Monangai will lead the way. He ran 242 times last year with 1,262 yards and eight scores overall. He also had eight receptions for 78 yards last year. With Gavin Wimsatt being replaced at quarterback, 497 rushing yards and 11 scores need to be replaced on the ground. Running back Samuel V Brown will be a major part of that. He had 216 yards and two scores last year. The running game will be helped by a solid offensive line, which is returning four starters.
On defense, Mohamed Toure is back. He was second on the team in tackles last year while also leading the team with 4.5 sacks. Further, he had an interception and a forced fumble last year. Wesley Bailey and Aaron Lewis are also back. They combined for seven sacks last year and a fumble recovered. Further, Robert Longerbeam is back. He had ten pass breakups last year, while also having an interception.
Further, Longerbeam forced two fumbles and recovered two as well. The defense was 16th in the nation last year in points allowed and brings back many of their major contributors.
Final Howard-Rutgers Prediction & Pick
The running game will be a major part of the game for Rutgers. In the last two years against FCS opponents, they have run for over 250 yards and five scores in each of those games. As Rutgers tries to get Athan Kaliakmanis comfortable in this new offense, they will be focused on the ground game. Further, Howard struggled against the run last year. With Rutgers replacing their quarterback as well, and Rutgers having a stout defense they should be able to dominate in this game. Laying 36.5 points is a lot, but Rutgers will be able to do that in this one.
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Final Howard-Rutgers Prediction & Pick: Rutgers -36.5 (-110)
