The 3-1 Washington Huskies head to New Jersey for their second Big Ten tilt as they take on the 3-0 Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Rutgers comes in off their biggest win of the season, a 26-23 road win at Virginia Tech via a late-game field goal and game-sealing interception in the last minute of the game.
Washington is fresh off its first Big Ten game and win as a conference member, a convincing 24-5 home win over Northwestern. This was a bounce-back win for the Huskies following a home loss to their bitter in-state rival, Washington State. Now, they’re on the road, hoping to move to 2-0 in the Big Ten.
Washington vs. Rutgers Betting and DFS Preview
All Washington vs. Rutgers odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Monday, Sept. 23.
- Spread
Rutgers -2.5 - Moneyline
Washington +120, Rutgers -140 - Over/Under
46 - Game Time
Friday, Sept. 27, 8:00 p.m. ET - Location
SHI Stadium | Piscataway, N.J. - Predicted Weather at Kick
69 degrees, partly cloudy - How To Watch
Fox
Rutgers opened as -1.5-point favorites and this number climbed up to a field goal game before settling back down, with Rutgers currently at -2.5. The total has seen a much more significant jump as it opened at 42.5 and has risen to 46.
Washington comes into their first road game of 2024 2-2 against the spread. Rutgers is 2-1 against the spread, with their only ATS loss coming in a 44-7 win over Howard as 39-point favorites.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
- QB Will Rogers, Washington
- QB Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers
- RB Jonah Coleman, Washington
- RB Kyle Monangai, Rutgers
- RB Cameron Davis, Washington
- RB Samuel Brown V, Rutgers
- WR Giles Jackson, Washington
- WR Dymere Miller, Rutgers
- WR Denzel Boston, Washington
- WR Kenny Fletcher, Rutgers
Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers has picked up where Michael Penix Jr. left off for the Washington Huskies. He’s averaging 262 yards per game and has thrown for eight touchdowns and no interceptions.
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On the other side, Athan Kaliakmanis has been excellent for Rutgers during their 3-0 start. He’s thrown for 646 yards and six touchdowns with one interception. But Rutgers’ offense starts with running back Kyle Monangai, who is averaging 152 rushing yards per game and scored a 208-yard touchdown against Akron.
Rogers’ top receiving target for the Huskies has been Denzel Boston, who has caught 24 passes, including five for touchdowns. The Huskies also have an excellent feature back in running back Jonah Coleman, who has run for 373 yards and four touchdowns.
Prediction for Washington vs. Rutgers
Rutgers and head coach Greg Schiano are 3-0, hoping to win double-digit games for the first time since 2006 during Schiano’s first tenure with Rutgers. With a favorable schedule in Big Ten play moving forward, this matchup with Washington is a massive one for the Scarlet Knights as they look to become bowl-eligible for the second consecutive year.
While Washington reached the national championship game last season before falling to Michigan, this year’s team looks very different. The Huskies are now led by new head coach Jedd Fisch, a Livingston, N.J., native who brings his Washington Huskies to his home state.
The Huskies also have a new quarterback. Mississippi State transfer Rogers has stepped in to replace Penix, a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Rogers brings plenty of talent and has been excellent so far in 2024. On defense, Washington is now led by Steve Belichick, a former Rutgers long snapper and lacrosse player.
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I expect this to be an excellent, old-school Big Ten defensive battle with thrilling offensive highlights. Each offense will be forced to make exceptional plays to move the football and get into the end zone. I’m buying what this Rutgers team is doing.
Defensively, they’ve been excellent in the early going of 2024. They held Virginia Tech to just seven points on Saturday, heading into the fourth quarter until Tech could build a fourth-quarter comeback on the back of two touchdowns and two converted two-point conversions.
The Rutgers ground attack will be the toughest Washington will face in 2024. I expect Monongai to carry the Rutgers offense, with Kaliakmanis making enough plays to move the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to 4-0 in 2024.
The Prediction: Washington 20, Rutgers 24
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