Howard vs. Rutgers Prediction, Odds, Picks for College Football Week 1 Game

Greg Schiano leads the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in their first game of the year as they face Howard. It's time to continue our college football odds series with a Howard-Rutgers prediction and pick.

Howard is coming off a solid year in 2023. They went 6-6 and 4-1 in MEAC play, which included a loss in the Celebration Bowl, which they lost to Florida A&M. Howard was projected to be the runner-up in the MEAC this year as they look to put together another successful year.

Rutgers, meanwhile, is looking back on an extremely successful year in 2023. For Greg Schiano, it would be the first successful season since returning to Rutgers. The regular season was 6-6, but the year was crowned with a victory over Miami (FL) in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Football Odds: Howard-Rutgers Odds

Howards: +36.5 (-110)

Rutgers: -36.5 (-110)

Over: 49.5 (-110)

Under: 49.5 (-110)

How to watch Howard vs. Rutgers

Time: 6:00 p.m. ET/ 3:00 p.m. PT

TV: Big Ten Network

Stream: fuboTV (Click here for a free trial)

Why Howard could cover/win the spread

Howard will make a change at quarterback this year as Quinton Williams has graduated. The only quarterback on the roster who played for Howard last year is Ja'Shawn Scroggins. Scroggins only threw for 56 yards last year, but can run. Last year he ran 12 times for 74 yards. Jaylon Tolbert is a 2022 starter and is the redshirt senior on the roster.

Still, this team is led by Eden James and Jarrett Hunter. Hunter was named the MEAC's preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Eden James was also named to the first team. Hunter ran 142 times for 626 yards and nine scores last year. Meanwhile, Eden James ran for 627 yards on 11 carries and two scores. Meanwhile, Kasey Hawthorne will be a weapon to be reckoned with. The MEAC's first-team wide receiver had 535 yards receiving, plus 185 rushing, and eight total touchdowns.

On defense, Jamel Stewart will be the focal point. He had 2.5 sacks and five quarterback hurries last year. He will be supported on the line by Noah Miles, who had two sacks last year. Also playing in the secondary will be Carson Hinton. Not only did he have 1.5 sacks, but he also had an interception that he returned for a touchdown, and he forced one fumble and recovered one.

Why Rutgers could cover/win the spread

Rutgers is led by Athan Kaliakmanis. Kaliakmanis is a transfer from Minnesota. He was solid last year, but not great. Kaliakmanis threw for 1,838 yards and 14 touchdowns, but had nine interceptions. Last season, he also ran for 94 yards and scored two touchdowns. His main target will be Christian Dremel. He was Rutgers' best receiver last year, recording 36 receptions, 468 yards and three touchdowns.

The running game will be a focal point for Rutgers. Kyle Monangai will lead the way. He ran 242 times last year for a total of 1,262 yards and eight scores. He also had eight pass catches for 78 yards last year. With Gavin Wimsatt being replaced at quarterback, 497 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground will need to be replaced. Running back Samuel V Brown will play a key role in that. He had 216 yards and two scores last year. The running game will be supported by a solid offensive line that returns four starters.

On defense, Mohamed Toure is back. He was second on the team in tackles last year and also led the team with 4.5 sacks. He also had an interception and a forced fumble last year. Wesley Bailey and Aaron Lewis are also back. They combined for seven sacks and a recovered fumble last year. Robert Longerbeam is also back. He had ten pass breakups last year and also an interception.

In addition, Longerbeam forced two fumbles and recovered two of them. The defense was 16th nationally in points allowed last year and returns many of its key players.

Final Howard-Rutgers Prediction and Pick

The running game will be a big part of the game for Rutgers. Over the last two years, they have rushed for over 250 yards against FCS opponents and scored five points in each of those games. While Rutgers tries to get Athan Kaliakmanis comfortable with this new offense, they will focus on the running game. Plus, Howard struggled with the running game last year. With Rutgers also replacing their quarterback and having a strong defense, they should be able to dominate this game. Scoring 36.5 points is a lot, but Rutgers will do that in this game.

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Final Howard-Rutgers prediction and pick: Rutgers -36.5 (-110)