Washington vs. Rutgers Pick
Will No. 8 Washington build off 2016’s success and open 2017 with a lopsided win over Rutgers on Friday night at 8PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Washington is favored on the road, as the Huskies are getting odds of -27.5 points against Rutgers. The over/under total for the game is listed at 52.5 points. Washington won the meeting last season, 48-13, covering a 25-point spread in the process. These two will meet from High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. The game will air live on FS1.
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Washington is coming off 12-2 record in 2016, with an 8-1 mark in the Pac-12 that earned the Huskies a spot in the playoffs. Washington were just 7-7 against the spread. The Huskies put up an impressive 41.8 points per game last season while allowing 17.7 per contest. Washington should have another stellar offense this season behind junior quarterback Jake Browning. He threw for 3,430 yards and 43 touchdowns in 2016 and is high on many NFL Draft lists for 2018. Browning loses his top target from a year ago in John Ross, but brings back Dante Pettis, who caught 15 touchdowns passes last season. Also back for Washington is Myles Gaskin, who rushed for 1,373 yards and 10 touchdowns in the backfield last year.
Rutgers had a 2016 season to forget, going just 2-10 with an 0-9 record in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights were also just 4-8 against the spread. Rutgers averaged just 15.7 points per game on offense while allowing 37.5 per game defensively. The Knights are hoping for an improved offense this year behind Louisville transfer Kyle Bolin, who will be the team’s starting QB. Bolin threw for 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions during his limited appearances with Louisville from 2014-16. He leads an offense in need of playmakers. Rutgers’ leading rusher last season had just 625 yards and two touchdowns. That was Robert Martin, who is back this season. The leading receiver had just 39 catches for 481 yards and three scores. That was Jawuan Harris, who has also returned.
Rutgers was awful last season and there’s not much reason to think the Knights will be a great deal better to start this season. The team is working in a new quarterback and facing an uphill battle against Washington, which was one of the better defensive teams in the nation last season. Washington also has a lot of offensive firepower that should be too much for the Knights to deal with. Even on the road, I like Washington to cover this spread.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: WASHINGTON -25