by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Sep 30, 2026
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Saturday, October 3, 2026
Venue: SHI Stadium, Piscataway, NJ
Where to Watch: Big Ten Network
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Indiana -24.5, Rutgers +24.5; Over/Under: 56.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Indiana -24.5, Rutgers +24.5; Over/Under: 56.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Indiana -24.5, Rutgers +24.5; Over/Under: 56.5 points
Season Record
Indiana Hoosiers: 4-0 (1-0) (1st place, Big Ten)
Rutgers Scarlet Knights: 1-3 (0-1) (17th place, Big Ten)
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Recent Form
Indiana Hoosiers: won their last game at home against the Northwestern Wildcats 29-23.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights: won their last game at home against the Howard Bison 58-7.
Indiana Hoosiers vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights Preview and Analysis
Indiana is entering this game with a 4-0 record overall and they have a 1-0 record in their conference games too. They are 4-0 in their home games, 0-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against Northwestern 29-23. Josh Hoover was the starting QB and he completed 19/29 passes for 201 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Lee Beebe Jr. led the team in rushing yards with 203 and 1 TD. Charlie Becker led the receivers with 98 receiving yards on 7 receptions. Preston Zachman led the defense in that game with 9 tackles while Stephen Daley, Tobi Osunsanmi, Byron Baldwin Jr., and Mario Landino each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Rutgers is entering this game with a 1-3 record overall and they have a 0-1 record in their conference games too. They are 1-2 in their home games, 0-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Howard 58-7. Dylan Lonergan was the starting QB and he completed 12/17 passes for 214 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Antwan Raymond led the team in rushing yards with 140 and 3 TDs. KJ Duff led the receivers with 131 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 1 TD. Moses Walker led the defense in that game with 5 tackles while Rondarius Porter led the defense in sacks with 1. Bradlee Jones came away with 2 interceptions for them in that one.
Indiana vs Rutgers Prediction
The current betting odds have Indiana listed as a 24.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Indiana has looked great in their games this season with their 4-0 record overall and their 1-0 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big Ten. They haven't played any road games yet and will be playing their 1st road game of the season here. Meanwhile, Rutgers has looked terrible in their games this season with their 1-3 record overall and their 0-1 conference record which has them right near the bottom of the Big Ten. They haven't looked good on their home field either with their 1-2 home record this season. Rutgers had a terrible start to the season with a home loss to UMass and it is starting to look like a disaster year for them. They were already one of the worst teams in the Big Ten entering the season, but now they are going for worst team in power 4. They have looked better in their last 2 games, almost beating USC in a 42-35 loss and now coming off their 1st win of the season, beating Howard 58-7, but now they have one of the best teams in the nation coming into town. Indiana won the National Championship last season and even though they haven't looked great in their games to start this season, this is still a program that hasn't lost a game in well over a year. They still have a ton of talent on offense that can put up points and their defense has looked great this season too, having one of the best defenses in the nation last year. They are coming off a 29-23 win over Northwestern in their last one and they didn't look good in that win, having a lot of trouble trying to pull away, but that is only going to motivate them more to have a better performance in this game. Rutgers just doesn't have the talent to compete with Indiana, so look for Indiana to play a lot better here and leave Rutgers in the dust. The best way to place a bet here is on Indiana to cover the spread in this game.
Indiana Rutgers Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, October 3, 2026 (8:00 pm ET start time) is Indiana 56 Rutgers 14.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Indiana Hoosiers: 24-13 ATS after 3 or more consecutive straight up wins. 14-7 ATS against conference opponents. 7-2 ATS vs. good passing teams averaging 250 or more passing yards/game. 13-7 UNDER against teams with a turnover margin of -1 per game or worse.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights: 14-31 ATS as an underdog of 21.5 to 31 points. 6-11 ATS in a home game where the total is between 56.5 and 63. 32-49 ATS when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 75%). 31-23 OVER versus good defensive teams - allowing 310 yards/game or less.
Key Injuries
Indiana Hoosiers: T. Richard (RB) Questionable - Ankle. L. Bond (WR) Out - Undisclosed.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights: D. Kaliakmanis (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Levy (CB) Out - Undisclosed. F. Toure (WR) Questionable - Knee.
Notable Quotes
“That guy’s got a lot of heart. Boy, he’s got as much heart as anyone that’s been in this program the last three years. Not only didn’t he step in, he played and fortunately they couldn’t tackle him. It was all grit and heart.” - Curt Cignetti after his team’s win against Northwestern in their last game.
“It was very perplexing, very frustrating. But tonight, we took it away three times and that's what we have to do to win.” - Greg Schiano after his team’s win against Howard in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Indiana Hoosiers
WR Marsh, Nick
WR Becker, Charlie
WR Morris, Tyler
TE Barker, Andrew
QB Hoover, Josh
RB Richard, Turbo
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
WR Black III, Ben
WR Duff, KJ
WR Houston, Jourdin
TE Blake, Logan
QB Surace, AJ
RB Raymond, Antwan
Statistical Leaders
Indiana Hoosiers
Passing: Josh Hoover (850)
Rushing: Lee Beebe Jr. (398)
Receiving: Charlie Becker (370)
Touchdowns: Charlie Becker (6)
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Passing: Dylan Lonergan (708)
Rushing: Antwan Raymond (438)
Receiving: KJ Duff (550)
Touchdowns: KJ Duff (7)
Coaches:
Indiana Hoosiers: Curt Cignetti (3rd season)
Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Greg Schiano (7th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
