Rutgers vs. Howard prediction, odds, spread: 2024 college football picks, Week 1 bets from proven expert
Rutgers kicks off its 2024 season at home against Howard on Thursday. The Scarlet Knights have high expectations after going 7-6 overall last season and ending 2023 with a 31-24 victory against the University of Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl. Meanwhile, the Bison went 6-6 in FCS play and have big plans of their own with two big offensive weapons returning for another season.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET from SHI Stadium in Piscataway, NJ. The Scarlet Knights are 36.5-point favorites in the latest Rutgers vs. Howard odds. The over/under for total points scored is 49.5. Before making any Howard vs. Rutgers picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Emory Hunt Jr..
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007, and a former running back for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns. He knows the game from a player’s perspective. In addition, he was 93-78-5 (+777) on his college football picks last year. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Hunt has set his sights on Rutgers vs. Howard and just locked in his picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see Hunt’s picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for Howard vs. Rutgers:
- Rutgers vs. Howard spread: Rutgers -36.5
- Rutgers vs. Howard over/under: 49.5 points
- Rutgers: 7-6 overall last season, including a bowl win against Miami
- Howard: 6-6 in FCS play last season
- Rutgers vs. Howard picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Howard can cover
The Bison showed last season that they can keep up with FBS competition when they nearly rallied to beat Northwestern. In that game, star rushers Eden James and Jarett Hunter each ran in late game touchdowns as Howard outscored the Wildcats 13-0. Northwestern held on for a 23-20 win, but not without Howard turning up the heat.
The James-Hunter tandem is back again this season, as is a strong defensive line. A key in last season’s scheme the Bison will try to emulate is having a high third-down conversion rate. If they can take advantage of an injured Rutgers defense, they have the opportunity to keep this game close. See which team to pick here.
Why Rutgers can cover
The Scarlet Knights received bad news ahead of the season-opener that star linebacker Mohamed Toure, who led the team in sacks and tackles for loss last year, will miss the season with a torn ACL. It puts a damper on Rutgers’ campaign, especially since 16 players are returning from last year’s Bowl-winning team. However, the offense still has upside.
Running back Kyle Monangai returns to dominate the run game, and there will be a lot of attention on new starting quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. The Minnesota transfer has sped up the offenses tempo during practice and has already been named a team captain. If Kaliakmanis successfully airs out Rutgers’ offensive scheme, the Scarlet Knights can take a healthy lead on Thursday. See which team to pick here.
How to make Howard vs. Rutgers picks
Hunt is leaning Over on the total, and has identified a critical x-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. You can only see his pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Howard vs. Rutgers, and which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the football expert who was 93-78-5 (+777) on his college football picks in 2023, and find out.
