Big East foes battle Thursday night when Rutgers hits Tampa to play South Florida (7:30 pm ET, ESPN), but the matchup hasn't been much of a battle in recent years.
At least not for the betting public. Rutgers is 5-0 ATS in the past five meetings with SFU and they are 6-1 SU in the past 7 overall.
The Scarlet Knights, 2-0 after a 26-0 victory over Howard, are nine-point underdogs vs. the Bulls, who are also 2-0 after a thrilling comeback win over Nevada.
View Rutgers vs South Florida Odds and Stats.
SFU vs Rutgers Betting Line: Fans backing the Bulls here saw them open as 9.5-point favorites at Sportsbook in this college football clash. (Check back shortly for Sportsbook totals at sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark as none was available at the time this preview was written.)
Power Rankings / Prediction: This game matches up the No. 88 (Bulls) and the No. 111 (Scarlet Knights) teams in the league, according to our current NCAAF Power Rankings at OddsShark. A 40-32 result in favor of the Scarlet Knights is predicted by handicapping models.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits South Florida's No. 51-ranked offense, averaging 33 PPG, against a Scarlet Knights defense that ranks No. 4 this week at 6 PPG. The Bulls aerial game is averaging 303.5 yards per game, more than the Scarlet Knights secondary allows through the air, 164.5 YPG per game.
In comparing defenses, the Scarlet Knights own the league's No. 1-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 8 yards per game when on the road. South Florida, on the other hand, rates No. 103 this week in generating rushing yards at home.
In their last action, Rutgers was a 26-0 Sportsbook at home against Howard. The game had no spread or over-under wagering, as it involved a non-board school. Jawan Jamison tore up the turf for 110 rushing yards in the latest Scarlet Knights game, a 26-0 win over the Bison at Rutgers Stadium.
Last time out for South Florida, they were a 32-31 Sportsbook as they battled Nevada on the road. South Florida earned a push in the match as a 1-point favorite, while 63 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. B.J. Daniels throttled the Wolf Pack defense in his team's most recent action, throwing for 363 yards as South Florida handed Nevada a 32-31 defeat.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Trends:
When playing in September are 8-2
When playing on grass are 6-4
After outgaining opponent are 7-3
When playing within the conference are 4-6
South Florida Bulls Trends:
When playing in September are 8-2
When playing on grass are 4-6
After outgaining opponent are 6-4
When playing within the conference are 2-8
A few Scarlet Knights at Bulls trends to consider:
Rutgers is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Rutgers's last 7 games on the road
Rutgers is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing South Florida
Rutgers is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
South Florida is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
South Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
South Florida is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Rutgers
South Florida is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Next up:
Rutgers at Arkansas, Saturday, September 22
South Florida at Ball State, Saturday, September 22
