Rutgers Football opens as four-point favorite vs. Northwestern in Week 1

Anyone have the itch for college football to return? Hopefully it’s not just me.

For those in the same boat, we officially have lines to study for Week 0 and Week 1.

Rutgers opens its 2023 campaign on Sept. 2 against Northwestern at SHI Stadium in Piscataway. The Scarlet Knights will look to get off to a strong start in Big Ten play against a struggling Northwestern team. According to BetOnline, Rutgers is currently a four-point favorite over the Wildcats.

Last season, the Scarlet Knights finished 5-6-1 ATS. They began the season with two outright victories against Boston College and Wagner. In Week 3, Rutgers gained a bit of respect and was a huge favorite against Temple on the road. In Big Ten play, Rutgers covered three games and pushed as a 39-point underdog to Ohio State.

In Week 1, Rutgers has a chance to defeat Northwestern for the first time since 1991.

The two sides first met in 1919 with Rutgers winning 28-0. This would begin a three-game win streak for the Scarlet Knights. After the victory in 1991, they did not meet again until 2018 — a 18-15 win for the Wildcats. In their most recent contest, Northwestern was victorious 21-7.

Kickoff for college football season is still over three months away so this line will have plenty of time to move in either direction. What we do know is that Rutgers has a chance to begin the year 1-0.