Free NCAA Football Prediction: Owls vs. Scarlet Knights Odds
Looking for Temple Owls vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights free picks? College football betting sees the Owls taking on the Scarlet Knights on Thursday, September 2 at SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football game Week 1 predictions like this Temple Rutgers free pick.
College Football Handicapping Analysis: Week 1
(0-0) Temple Owls vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-0)s
Date: Thursday, September 2nd 2021
Time: 6 pm EST
Venue: SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey
NCAA Football ATS Spread Odds: Owls +14.5 | Scarlet Knights -14.5
NCAA Football Moneyline Odds: Owls +400 | Scarlet Knights -550
NCAA Betting Total Odds: O/U 51.5
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will host the Temple Owls to kick of their 2021 season. The Owls went 1-5 during the shortened season, while this will be the Scarlet Knights first game in 644 days.
HISTORY: Rutgers has won the last four matchups and leads the all-time series 20-15.
Temple Owls
The Temple Owls had a rough 2020 season. After going 8-5 in 2019, the Owls went 1-6 last year, and finished tenth in the American Athletic Conference.
Head coach Rod Carey will be entering his third season after posting a 9-7 records through two years.
Last season’s starter Anthony Russo transferred to Michigan State, leaving a vacancy behind center. Re-al Mitchell is the only quarterback whose thrown a pass, and the dual-threat qb looks like the favorite to start Thursday. Mitchell threw for 238 passing yards and ran for 114 rushing yards in three games last season.
Redshirt senior Tayvon Ruley will get the bulk of the running load. He led the Owls with 306 rushing yards in 2020.
Starting wideouts Jadan Blue and Randle Jones both returned to give the Owls some form of experience. Blue nearly posted 1,000 yards during the 2019 season, and he led the team last year with 41 catches, 381 yards and five scores.
The Owls struggled on the defensive side, giving up a whopping 37.1 points per game.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights took a few steps forward last season. Despite the 3-6 finish, it was their highest win total in four seasons, and it equaled their number of wins in 2018 and 2019 combined.
Greg Schiano started his second tenure at Rutgers on a solid note last season, and almost included an overtime upset over Michigan. He led the Scarlet Knights to five straight bowl victories during his first stint.
Senior Noah Vedral returns at quarterback after starting in his first season over from Nebraska. He threw for 1,253 passing yards with nine touchdowns to eight interceptions, and added 193 yards on the ground.
Junior running back Isaih Pacheco has been one of Rutgers best players for the past three seasons. After leading the team with 729 rushing yards in 2019, he led them against last year with 515 yards and three scores.
The Scarlet Knights will be bringing back their top three pass catchers for last season. Senior Bo Melton led the team with 47 receptions, 638 receiving yards an six touchdowns. Outside receiver Shameen Jones caught 34 passes for 378 yards, while slot wideout Aron Cruickshank caught 37 passes for 239 yards.
Rutgers gave 32.1 points per game last season, but only gave up more than 30 points to Michigan and Ohio State.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- Scarlet Knights are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite.
- Scarlet Knights are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Thursday games.
Free Week 1 NCAA Football Pick
This should be a good test for both schools to open season. Neither should too overmatched here, but one team does enter with a clear advantage on the offensive side of the ball.
4* Free Week 1 NCAA Betting Pick: Rutgers -14.5
Rutgers is returning important pieces at important positions. Vedral should be much better this season, after receiving a year to learn the system and adjust. Pacheco and Melton are studs, and Temple might not have enough to keep up. The Owls lost a lot of starters on both sides of the ball, and this isn’t the same team from the 8-5 season. Look for Greg Schiano to kick off his thirteenth season at Rutgers with a win, and bet on the Scarlet Knights to cover the spread.
Owls vs. Scarlet Knights Free Score Prediction: Temple 13 – Rutgers 31 (Bet Now!)
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