Excerpt from my free game preview available shortly on our website:

Betting Trend: Rutgers has covered the spread in each of its last ten September games as a home betting favorite against non-AP-ranked opponents.

I picked the Scarlet Knights ML (+140) as my best bet of last weekend and feel confident in their ability to follow up on that performance this Friday. The atmosphere around Rutgers is different with HC Greg Schiano back on the banks, especially in the last couple of years. There is optimism the program is headed in the right direction, which is a breath of fresh air for the folks in New Jersey. I expect SHI Stadium to be rocking on Friday night as the Knights welcome a Washington squad fresh off a National Championship appearance.

The home team should be able to generate pressure on QB Will Rogers and make enough plays in the backfield to disrupt the Huskies' flow. That will be crucial to slowing down UW's passing attack, which has been uber-efficient under the senior signal-caller. The Scarlet Knights have shown a knack for making stops at pivotal moments, as DB Robert Longerbeam demonstrated last week with a victory-sealing interception with under two minutes remaining in a close contest.

Rutgers' ground game will be the key to victory. Kyle Monangai was the Big Ten's leading rusher last season and is off to a hot start. The Scarlet Knights will open up their passing attack off play-action, utilizing a more experienced group of receivers to move the chains. The Huskies will find it challenging to disrupt RU's physical offensive line, putting their defensive backs on their heels.

In their first game action this year outside Seattle and a long way from home, Washington will get a rude reminder that last week's conference opener was an anomaly. Bet on Rutgers to cover the spread as it will be motivated to lock up its fourth win of the season, building excitement for its brand and picking up another win for its bowl resume.