The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will start their season at home against the Ohio Bobcats in a MAC vs Big Ten matchup in college football. The Scarlet Knights are heavy favorites in this Thursday night contest on the gridiron. Will the Big Ten team hold serve at home or could Ohio put Rutgers on upset alert? Continue reading to get my thoughts and my Ohio vs Rutgers prediction for Thursday’s game.
Our Ohio vs Rutgers Pick
- Pick: Under 49.5
- Confidence: ★★★☆☆
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Ohio vs Rutgers
- Date & Time: Thursday, August 28, 2025, 6:00 PM ET
- Venue: SHI Stadium, Piscataway, NJ
- Broadcast: Big Ten Network
Ohio vs Rutgers Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Rutgers –15 | Rutgers –750 / Ohio +475 | 49.5 |
Key Storylines
Rutgers is experienced in season openers under Greg Schiano. They have won 12 of 16 opening games under him and each of their last five. Ohio enters this season with a new coaching staff and revamped offensive line that faces an early test against a power conference opponent. Ohio has struggled historically against Big Ten opponents and carries just one win in eight such games.
Rutgers is playing at home and is expected to perform well in their season opener. But they will have to prove that their offense can move the ball despite losing running back Kyle Monangai. Monangai has moved onto the NFL and the Chicago Bears. He was incredibly productive for the Scarlet Knights and Rutgers will need to figure out how to perform without him to lean on.
Quarterback Play
Athan Kaliakmanis is set to start at quarterback for Rutgers to begin this season. Kaliakmanis had 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions for the Scarlet Knights last season. He struggled against Big Ten competition but completed over 60% of his passes across Rutgers’ three non-conference wins to start last year.
Senior quarterback Parker Navarro will start the season under center for Ohio. Navarro completed 66.1% of his passes last year. But his touchdown-to-interception ratio was concerning. Navarro had 13 touchdowns and 11 picks and needs to do a better job of protecting the football.
Betting Trends & H2H
- These teams have played twice all-time. Rutgers is 2-0 over Ohio in their previous matchups in 2006 and 2011.
- Rutgers defeated Ohio by double-digits in their two previous meetings.
Ohio vs Rutgers Model Projection
Score Projection: Rutgers 30 – Ohio 17
Win Probability: Rutgers 80%, Ohio 20%
Final Thoughts
Rutgers should have the edge in physicality up front and they should be able to stifle the Ohio offense because of that. The question will be whether Rutgers can do enough on offense without Monangai to run up a big margin of victory to cover the spread. I’m unsure of that, but I do recommend taking the under here in anticipation of Rutgers’ defense dominating and the Scarlet Knights running the football early and often.
