On Thursday, December 26th, we’ll see the Rutgers Scarlet Knights face the Kansas State Wildcats in the Rate Bowl. This is the second of three games on the schedule for Thursday, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Wildcats finish out the season. With that in mind, keep reading for odds, analysis and predictions for this showdown. But make sure you also check out our College Football Bowl Games Hub for all of our VSiN college football betting content.
Rate Bowl: Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Kansas State Wildcats
How To Watch Rutgers vs. Kansas State
Where: Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona
When: 5:30 pm ET on Thursday, December 26th
Channel: ESPN
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Rutgers vs. Kansas State Odds
Moneyline: Kansas State -258, Rutgers +210
Spread: Kansas State -6.5 (-115), Rutgers +6.5 (-105)
Total: Over 50 (-112), Under 50 (-108)
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publish. They can change. Shop around for the best prices!
Rutgers vs. Kansas State Prediction
Kansas State is going to be without starting right tackle Carver Willis, who is transferring to Washington. The team will also be without starting wideout Keagan Johnson and two depth pieces in the secondary in Nickendre Stiger and Jordan Dunbar. On top of that, running back DJ Giddens and corner Jacob Parrish are opting out as they look towards the NFL Draft. Meanwhile, it’s unclear whether or not star running back Kyle Monangai or linebacker Tyreem Powell will play for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are also going to be without defensive end Wesley Bailey and wideout Chris Long. With that in mind, both teams are going to look a little different in this game. And the biggest absence of all might be Rutgers playing without defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak, who is going to be the head coach for UMass.
Regardless of who will be out there, it’s hard not to like the Wildcats to win. While Giddens rushed for 1,343 yards and seven touchdowns this year, Kansas State has the most dangerous offensive player on the field in Avery Johnson. Not only did the sophomore throw for 2,517 yards with 22 touchdowns this season, but he also rushed for 548 yards and six scores. He’s an improving passer at this point in his college career, but he’s an electric runner. And with Rutgers potentially being a little more unorganized than usual defensively, you’d think the Wildcats will be able to come up with enough plays to win this game. After all, the Scarlet Knights have very little going for them offensively — especially if Monangai does sit.
It’s just hard not to think that the Wildcats are the better team on both sides of the ball. And the numbers back that up. Kansas State is 35th in the nation in EPA per play allowed (-0.049), while Rutgers is just 71st (0.006). The Wildcats are also 15th in EPA per play (0.082), and the Scarlet Knights are just 43rd (0.034). On top of all of that, Kansas State is 4-0 both straight-up and against the spread as a neutral-field favorite under Chris Klieman. The team is also 12-2 both SU and ATS when facing defenses that give up at least 5.9 yards per play under Klieman.
It’s also not a bad idea to jump on the Under. If I was forcing a play on this game, that’s where I’d look. The Under is 3-1 in the December bowl games the Wildcats have played under Klieman, and it’s also 2-1 in the games that the Knights have played as neutral-field ‘dogs under Greg Schiano. This is also just a game that features a boring Rutgers offense, and the main objective of the Scarlet Knights will be to make this game as ugly as possible.
Lean: Under 50.5 (-107)
