Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Kansas State Wildcats Betting Pick & Prediction Rate Bowl
ESPN is handling the television broadcast for this Rate Bowl matchup between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Kansas State Wildcats, set for 5:30 ET on Thursday, December 26th, at Chase Field in Phoenix. The Wildcats are the -7-point favorites as the home team, even though the game is being played on a neutral site. The over/under line is currently at 51.5 points. Kansas State enters the game with an 8-4 record, while Rutgers is 7-5 on the season.
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS VS KANSAS STATE WILDCATS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Kansas State Wildcats -7
This game will be played at Chase Field at 5:30 ET on Thursday, December 26th.
WHY BET THE KANSAS STATE WILDCATS:
- We have the Kansas State Wildcats winning this one by a score of 32 to 24
- Not only do we have the Kansas State Wildcats winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at -7
- Look for this game to go over the line of 51.5 points
Are The Rutgers Scarlet Knights A Candidate To Pull Off An Upset?
Rutgers enters their Week 1 matchup against Kansas State with a 7-5 record. They’ve gone 3-3 on the road and 3-2 at home. The Scarlet Knights have been favored in five games this season, going 2-3 in those contests, while they’ve posted a 4-2 record as the underdog.
Against the spread, Rutgers is 6-4-1, with a 3-1-1 record on the road and a 3-3 mark at home. They’ve gone 2-3 ATS as the favorite and 4-1-1 as the underdog, with an average scoring margin of +4.1 points per game.
Rutgers’ over/under record stands at 8-3, with their games averaging 51.8 points. Their average over/under line this season is 46.1 points, and this week’s line is set at 51.5 points.
Rutgers’ offense is ranked 36th in our power rankings heading into week 1, and they are averaging 27.9 points per game, which places them 50th in the country. Their ground game has been their strength, with 179 rushing yards per game on 39.6 attempts.
Kyle Monangai leads the rushing attack with 1,279 yards, 13 touchdowns, and an average of 5 yards per carry. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis has thrown for 2,459 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 84.
Rutgers’ defense played a key role in their 41-14 win over Michigan State, allowing just 14 points. They gave up 276 total yards, including 126 rushing yards on 23 attempts and 150 passing yards, while also forcing an interception.
On average, Rutgers’ defense is allowing 23.8 points per game this season. Opponents are averaging 150.8 rushing yards per game on 29.5 attempts, while quarterbacks have thrown for 234.1 yards per game, completing 60.1% of their passes.
Can The Kansas State Wildcats Win As The Favorite On A Neutral Field?
Kansas State enters Week 1 against Rutgers with an 8-4 record. They’ve been strong at home, going 4-1, while their road record stands at 3-3. The Wildcats have been favored in 10 of their 12 games, posting a 7-3 record in those matchups.
Their ATS record is 4-7, with a +7.8 average scoring margin. At home, they are 3-2 against the spread, but on the road, they’ve struggled with a 1-5 ATS record.
The over/under line for this week is 51.5 points. Kansas State’s games have averaged 51.7 points, and their average over/under line is 53.3 points. So far, their over/under record is 5-6.
Kansas State’s offense is ranked 39th in our college football offensive power rankings heading into this week. They are also 40th in points per game, scoring 29.8 per contest. The Wildcats have been more effective on the ground, averaging 207 rushing yards per game, which ranks 21st nationally.
DJ Giddens leads the rushing attack with 1,343 yards, averaging 6 yards per carry, and has scored seven touchdowns. Quarterback Avery Johnson has thrown for 2,517 yards and 22 touchdowns, but he has also been intercepted nine times and has a passer rating of 92.
Kansas State’s defense, ranked 26th nationally, is giving up 21.9 points per game this season. They’ve allowed 223.7 passing yards per game, ranking 100th, with a 62.5% completion rate and a 90.8 passer rating.
In their recent game against Iowa State, Kansas State allowed 29 points, giving up 341 total yards, including 214 passing yards and 127 rushing yards. They also forced one interception.