Are the Scarlet Knights really bad enough to deserve being a two-touchdown underdog against a team riding a four-game losing streak? The answer is probably yes, but the better question is whether Rutgers and Nebraska can generate enough offense to push this total into the mid-50s. I don't think so. While Nebraska should score more points than it has in recent weeks and Rutgers may contribute a little more than expected, this still profiles as a lower-scoring Big Ten battle.
Nebraska has lost four straight, but context matters. The Cornhuskers faced a difficult stretch of conference opponents, holding all four to 24 points or fewer while playing three of those games within a touchdown. They also opened the year with five consecutive wins, suggesting there's still a quality football team beneath the recent skid. The concern remains the offense, which was held to 17 points or fewer in each of those four losses. Nebraska should find more success against Rutgers' struggling defense -- but against an offense that has frequently stalled, there may be little need to keep piling on points.
Rutgers has pulled off a few surprises in Piscataway, but Nebraska's defense has been consistently stingy -- making it difficult to project much more than 17-19 points from the Scarlet Knights. Add in temperatures expected in the mid-40s and both offenses could find themselves operating in less-than-ideal conditions. Scores like 34-17, 31-20, or 27-13 seem far more realistic than a shootout. This game may flirt with the number, but I expect it to stay cleanly under.
Nebraska vs Rutgers prediction: Under 52.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to 51 (-115).
