The Scarlet Knights are now favored by 14.5 points against the Ohio Bobcats after the line opened at 10.5 at major sportsbooks, including ESPNBet and BetMGM. Rutgers is a -750 moneyline favorite against Ohio, with the over/under being set at 46.5 points according to ESPNBet. Putting all of that together, Rutgers projects to win the game by an approximate scoreline of 30-16.
With Rutgers opening as a 10.5 favorite, the expectation was that the game would be somewhat close, with Ohio having a small chance at a real upset scare or even potentially pulling the upset. Increasing the number to over two touchdowns signals that Vegas thinks the Scarlet Knights are significantly better than the Bobcats to the point that they should not be seriously threatened. The game will still likely not be a blowout victory, but Rutgers is now expected to be at least two scores in front of the Bobcats as the game winds down.
One reason the line has moved in favor of Rutgers is that former Bobcats head coach Tim Albin has left to take the Charlotte job. Ohio has promoted offensive coordinator Brian Smith to take Albin's place, but an opening game at a Power Four opponent is a tough one to break into. Despite returning All-MAC quarterback Parker Navarro and bringing back several skill players on offense, in addition to having one of the conference's best secondaries, the Bobcats will be undermanned against the Scarlet Knights, particularly in the trenches.
The biggest reason why the line has moved is the number of players that Ohio has to replace this season, due to players graduating or leaving via the transfer portal. Most notably, four-star defensive end Bradley Weaver will be making his Rutgers debut against the Bobcats after amassing 14.5 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, and 78 tackles in the past two seasons. Several other defensive linemen have also transferred out of the program, with a pair of high three-stars in Bralen Henderson and Cam Rice going to other Power Four programs.
Although last year's Bobcats finished ninth in total defense and fourth against the run, replacing multiple positions on the defensive line, as well as a couple of linebackers, will not be an easy feat. Even with the additions of Anas Luqman, Pius Odjugo, and Evan Hermann to the front, a lot of new defensive pieces will have to come together quickly against a solid Rutgers offensive line, which boasts tons of Big Ten experience and chemistry.
On the other side of the ball, Ohio's offensive line is completely reworked from 2024. The Bobcats saw two of their offensive linemen in Joseph Habinowski and Andrew Erby Jr., transfer out, while they added Shedrick Rhodes Jr. back from the Scarlet Knights. Rhodes played four seasons for the Bobcats and frequently started at right tackle in his last two years before only playing in two games during his one season at Rutgers.
Ohio is expected to elevate tackle Jordon Jones, center Kam Wright, and guard Trent Allen into starting roles. Josh Waite, who is transferring in from DII Shippensburg, is expected to start at the left guard spot, while Davion Witherspoon, who was excellent at guard, will likely slide over to left tackle. Rutgers brings in several Group of Five transfers on the defensive line, but their edge duo includes some of the top Group of Five transfers in James Madison's Eric O'Neill and Bradley Weaver on the ends, while the interior adds fellow JMU transfer Darold DeNgohe and South Florida transfer Doug Blue-Eli.
Even last season, Ohio fell to Kentucky 40-6 while losing to a ranked Syracuse team 38-22, losing to both Power Four opponents in an otherwise stellar 11-3 campaign. While last year's Bobcats may have been able to give the Scarlet Knights a run for their money and keep the game close to single digits, this year's team replaces too many players in the trenches to be able to truly compete with a solid Big Ten team. Even though the line only moved four points in the direction of Rutgers, it signals that this game may not be quite as close as initially anticipated.