One of the great things about midweek college football games is that it puts some ugly matchups front and center for fans and bettors.
Only the sickos would be paying mind to UMass vs. Rutgers on a loaded Saturday slate in October, but a 6 p.m. ET kickoff on Thursday night means that this is your first taste of Week 1 action.
It just doesn’t get any better than that.
Rutgers is a 29.5-point favorite in Piscataway on Thursday evening.
UMass vs. Rutgers odds, prediction
UMass has been the worst program at the FBS level during the 2020s. The Minutemen have gone 9-64 this decade and are coming off an 0-12 campaign under Joe Harasymiak in 2025. Any shred of improvement would be welcome in Amherst.
The best thing that Harasymiak has going for him this season is that UMass has the easiest schedule in all of FBS. Rutgers is the only Power 4 program on the itinerary, and the Scarlet Knights project to be one of the weakest teams in that cohort in 2026.
Greg Schiano’s second stint in the Raritan Valley hasn’t gone to plan, but the winningest coach in Rutgers’ history does seem to have a plan going forward: He’s starting this thing over.
Catch up on The Post’s college football betting predictions and previews for the 2026 season
The Scarlet Knights rank 92nd in returning production, and the defense will essentially be a new unit. That’s a good thing, as Rutgers was uncharacteristically porous without the ball in 2025, a diversion from what we’ve grown used to seeing from Schiano in his career.
And while the Rutgers defense struggled to get off the field in 2025, the offense saw a couple of stars emerge. Wide receiver KJ Duff is expected to be an early-round pick in April’s NFL Draft, and running back Antwan Raymond racked up 1,241 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Knights last fall.
Duff and Raymond should have a field day in this one, but I also think the UMass offense can contribute to this total against a defense that has a ton of issues to sort out.
The Play: Over 51.5 points (-110, FanDuel)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
