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This is what this matchup was supposed to be. Rutgers will travel to the Big House to take on Michigan in Ann Arbor on Saturday. Both teams are 3-0 and the game will be televised on ABC at 3:30 P.M.
Yes — you read that all correctly.
The turnaround for the Scarlet Knights is fully in effect and will continue as Greg Schiano continues to get his recruits in the building. With that being said, Rutgers handled their business in the non-conference but will have to prove itself against Big Ten competition.
The spread backs up that notion. According to BetOnline, Michigan is currently a 20.5-point favorite on Saturday. The money line features extraordinary odds with Michigan -1300 and Rutgers +700. The total is set at 49.5.
Both Rutgers and Michigan are 3-0 ATS this season. They are putting up huge offensive numbers while making easy work of non-conference opponents early in the year. Michigan is putting up 47 points per game while Rutgers is scoring 41 per game. The offenses have gotten to this point in different ways.
Michigan is tearing it up on the ground with the duo of Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins. They are averaging 514.7 total yards and allowing just 289 yards to opposing teams. The Scarlet Knights struggled against Syracuse in Week 2 and this made their numbers fall a bit. The Scarlet nights are averaging 350.7 yards per game.
On the other hand, Rutgers has played strong defense. The Scarlet Knights have allowed 260.7 yards per game while forcing eight turnovers. Despite the defensive prowess, Rutgers has seen two games go over this season because they have been able to put up points.
This makes the total difficult to predict in this game. Michigan has played two unders this season. Thy have allowed just 34 points in three games this season. It is not surprising that there are low scores with the way the Wolverines run the football. It took a 63-point outburst against Northern Illinois to hit an over.
This is a prove-it game for the Scarlet Knights — for both Big Ten play and the oddsmakers. Being a three-touchdown underdog on the road is not where Rutgers wants to be but it should be motivation. This is an early-season chance to show that the team is truly moving in the right direction.