Michigan State vs Rutgers Prediction, Game Preview
Michigan State vs Rutgers prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 9
Michigan State vs Rutgers How To Watch
Date: Saturday, October 9
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: SHI Stadium, Piscataway, NJ
How To Watch: BTN
Record: Michigan State (5-0), Rutgers (3-2)
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Michigan State vs Rutgers Game Preview
Why Michigan State Will Win
The pass rush has been suffocating.
The Spartans are doing a whole slew of things right, but they’re hardly perfect. They’re able to make up for several problems by getting into the backfield on a regular basis with 18 sacks on the year and two or more in every game.
For all of the good things Rutgers is doing, the offensive line allows way too many plays behind the line for an offense that doesn’t have a whole lot of margin for error.
There isn’t much of a Scarlet Knight running game and the passing attack isn’t explosive enough to keep up if Michigan State can get out to an early start. But …
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Why Rutgers Will Win
Michigan State’s secondary is getting hit hard.
To be fair, Bailey Zappe and the WKU offense bomb away on everyone, but Miami’s D’Eriq King was able to throw well, Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez came up with a good day, and even Northwestern was able to crank up the passing game in the second half.
This might not be a high-octane Rutgers passing game, but Noah Vedral hasn’t been bad yardage-wise, throwing for over 200 yards in two of the last three games.
But with Rutgers, it comes down to the mistakes. At least before the 52-13 loss last week to Ohio State, the team has been air tight with just one giveaway over the first four games before turning it over three times against the Buckeyes. This is still one of the nation’s top teams in fewest penalties, and …
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What’s Going To Happen
Can the Scarlet Knights do that again?
It was the opener of the Greg Schiano era on one side, and the first game for Melvin Tucker on the other. Rutgers went to East Lansing and forced seven Michigan State takeaways in a stunning 38-27 win to kickoff the 2020 season.
Michigan State has only turned it over three times this season.
Under Tucker, the Spartans are now 7-1 when turning it over fewer than twice, and 0-4 when giving it up two or more times. Rutgers forced eight takeaways in the first two games and hasn’t come up with one over the last three.
As long as Michigan State is very, very careful, keeps things conservative, and manages to keep the Rutgers running game under wraps, it’ll be okay. It’ll be a grind, but the Spartans will be 6-0 for the first time since 2015.
Michigan State vs Rutgers Prediction, Line
Michigan State 26, Rutgers 17
Line: Michigan State -5, o/u: 50
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5
Must See Rating: 3
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