UMass vs. Rutgers Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 1

Week 0 of the college football season is in the rearview mirror, but we don't have to wait long for Week 1 to begin. UMass and Rutgers will kick off the first full week of college football action when the two teams meet on Thursday night.

Greg Schiano is hoping his Scarlet Knights can rebound after a disappointing 5-7 record in 2025. With plenty of returning talent, there's a chance Rutgers puts together a solid 2026 campaign. The good news for the Rutgers faithful is that they should have no problem getting the season started off with a win.

The betting market has Rutgers set as a massive favorite on Thursday night. Let's take a look.

UMass vs. Rutgers Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Spread

UMass +29.5 (-110)
Rutgers -29.5 (-109)

Moneyline

UMass +1900
Rutgers N/A

Total

OVER 51.5 (-112)
UNDER 51.5 (-109)

UMass vs. Rutgers How to Watch

Date: Thursday September 3
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Venue: SHI Stadium
How to Watch (TV): BTN
UMass record: 0-0
Rutgers record: 0-0

UMass vs. Rutgers Betting Trends

Rutgers won and covered against UMass in their previous meeting in 2019
The total went OVER in the previous meeting between these two teams in 2019
UMass is 3-7 against the spread in its last 10 games
The OVER is 7-3 in UMass's last 10 games
Rutgers is 5-5 against the spread in its last 10 games
The OVER is 5-5 in Rutgers' last 10 games

UMass vs. Rutgers Key Player to Watch

KJ Duff, WR - Rutgers Scarlet Knights

There's no question who Rutgers' best offensive player is. Wide receiver KJ Duff was a potential first-round pick in the NFL Draft, but Rutgers backed up the Brinks truck to make sure he came back for one more season. He was 10th in the nation in receiving yards last season with 1,084. I expect him to get off to a hot start in Week 1.

UMass vs. Rutgers Prediction and Best Bet

UMass has arguably been the worst team in college football, consistently getting just a couple of wins per season or, in last year's case, getting no wins while also failing to cover the spread on a weekly basis. The last time UMass had a winning record was in 2008, when they went 7-5 overall.

I expect more of the same from the Minuteman, so I'm going to lay out the points on Rutgers. They have enough talent to blow past this UMass team. The Minuteman don't have a defensive back who can cover the likes of KJ Duff in the secondary.

I'll lay the points with Rutgers.

Pick: Rutgers -29.5 (-109) via Caesars

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