Rutgers got some respect from the oddsmakers last week against Ohio State and lost its first game ATS.
The Scarlet Knights began by covering the first four games of the season but were torn apart by the Buckeyes as a 14.5-point underdog. It was a 52-13 loss for Rutgers and it will look to rebound on Saturday against Michigan State.
According to BetOnline, Michigan State is a 5.5-point favorite in this matchup with the total set at 50. The Spartans are -220 on the money line while you can get good odds with Rutgers at +190.
This is a matchup that Rutgers won to begin the 2020 season. They went into East Lansing and shocked a Spartan team that was a bit mediocre. This year, Mel Tucker seems to have righted the ship after adding some key transfers and Michigan State looks good to begin the year. They’re 5-0 and 2-0 in Big Ten play.
The Spartans are 3-0-2 ATS this season. They pushed two games — a 28-point win over Youngstown State and a three-point victory over Nebraska in overtime. Michigan State has been handling business against lesser teams and has a statement win on the road against Miami. Week 1 could even be considered a statement win when the Spartans handled Northwestern. The Wildcats have taken a huge step back this year but no one expected this collapse coming into the season.
As for Rutgers, it was a quick reality check on Saturday against Ohio State. This was the first game the Scarlet Knights played poorly and as a result, they did not cover . The spread is a bit lower than expected against the Spartans but the game is at SHI Stadium. This is the second-straight home game for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights have alternated overs and under in five games, with there being three games going over the number.
As for Michigan State, they have also played three overs in five games. The Spartans have scored 38 or more points in four of the five games this season and the over is 3-1 in those contests.
Coming into the year, this was a swing game for the Scarlet Knights that they could win. All of a sudden, Michigan State is No. 11 in the nation and this is another extremely-tough game for Rutgers. If they can pull it out, there is momentum moving forward and a clear path to six victories.