This week's picks

Michigan vs. Rutgers Prediction and Pick, Week 9 2026

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Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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Picks two teams at random. Any FBS team can come up.

How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

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Michigan at Rutgers

Week 9, Sat, Oct 31, 12:30 PM ET, SHI Stadium.

The numbers say: Michigan, 87% to win.

The game

KickoffSat, Oct 31, 12:30 PM ET
TVBTN
WhereSHI Stadium
Weather57°, fair, wind 5 mph
LineMichigan −16.5, total 45.5
Line movementOpened Michigan −14; moved 2.5 points toward Michigan. Total opened 47.5, down 2.
SeriesMichigan leads 9–1
Last meetingMichigan 31–7 in 2023
Rutgers injuriesLonergan (QB), out

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+Michigan by 13.984%48
PRIMEMichigan by 18.491%
EloMichigan87%
The lineMichigan −16.5, opened −1445.5, opened 47.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Fri, Oct 30, 7:43 PM ET.

Who wins, Michigan or Rutgers?

The numbers say: Michigan. 87% chance to win

Which matchups decide Michigan vs. Rutgers?

All three ratings favor Michigan, by 13.9 to 18.4 points, and it isn't close. Michigan's best matchup is its run defense, 14th in EPA per rush allowed, against Rutgers' run game at 105th. Rutgers' way back in is its takeaway defense, 75th in interceptions per pass, against Michigan's ball security at 122nd. We left out the edges built on Lonergan, who's out.

Michigan with the ball

Rutgers with the ball

Who's out for Michigan and Rutgers?

Michigan

Rutgers

How Michigan and Rutgers compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Michigan and Rutgers are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How Michigan's and Rutgers' players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Michigan and Rutgers?

On a neutral field, SP+ has Michigan 16.4 points better (27th to 95th). PRIME also has Michigan ahead, by 20.9. Elo, which only sees results, also has Michigan ahead (25th to 100th).

MichiganRutgers
SP+ overall11.5 (27th)-4.9 (95th)
SP+ offense24.4 (86th)28.7 (54th)
SP+ defense12.7 (3rd)34.0 (124th)
SP+ special teams-0.2 (92nd)0.3 (28th)
PRIME net9.5 (31st)-11.4 (114th)
PRIME offense-0.52 (71st)-2.85 (90th)
PRIME defense9.43 (10th)-7.86 (127th)
PRIME SOS0.8 (38th)1.6 (32nd)
PRIME SOR0.6 (52nd)-1.2 (101st)
Elo1734 (25th)1354 (100th)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Michigan's offense ranks 86th in adjusted EPA per play, and the Rutgers defense it faces ranks 126th in EPA per play allowed. Rutgers' offense ranks 82nd against Michigan's 13th-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is Michigan's offense against Rutgers' defense. The biggest edge on the board is Michigan's efficiency: 64th in adjusted success rate, against Rutgers' 117th-ranked defense. Adjust for opponents and Michigan's offense climbs from 106th to 86th in EPA per play: it has done its work against good defenses.

MichiganRutgers
EPA per play (adjusted)+0.07 (86th)+0.08 (82nd)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.15 (96th)+0.20 (59th)
EPA per rush (adjusted)+0.05 (81st)+0.03 (105th)
Success rate (adjusted)41.6% (64th)41.9% (61st)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)44.4% (113th)45.0% (102nd)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)32.8% (24th)33.6% (15th)
Explosiveness (adjusted)0.93 (92nd)0.93 (88th)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)2.95 (69th)2.90 (89th)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)0.95 (123rd)1.17 (57th)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)−0.00 (13th)+0.21 (126th)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.08 (9th)+0.28 (120th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)−0.01 (14th)+0.16 (132nd)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)37.8% (20th)46.0% (117th)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.90 (13th)0.97 (122nd)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)2.84 (32nd)3.12 (116th)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)0.82 (4th)1.47 (133rd)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, Michigan or Rutgers?

Michigan is better running (89th in EPA per rush) than throwing (106th). Rutgers' run defense ranks 133rd, so that's an edge. Rutgers is better throwing (58th in EPA per pass) than running (89th). Michigan's pass defense ranks 8th, so the defense has the better of it.

MichiganRutgers
EPA per play+0.05 (106th)+0.11 (79th)
EPA per pass+0.10 (106th)+0.25 (58th)
EPA per rush+0.05 (89th)+0.05 (89th)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.30 (108th)+0.43 (81st)
EPA per play allowed−0.10 (5th)+0.29 (135th)
EPA per pass allowed−0.04 (8th)+0.37 (123rd)
EPA per rush allowed−0.13 (7th)+0.28 (133rd)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed−0.03 (2nd)+0.53 (109th)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, Michigan or Rutgers?

Michigan outscores FBS opponents by 4.6 a game, and Rutgers is outscored by 4.6. Michigan's offense ranks 118th in scoring, and the Rutgers defense it faces ranks 127th in points allowed. Rutgers' offense ranks 68th against Michigan's 15th-ranked defense. Neither side of the ball has a clear edge.

MichiganRutgers
Points scored20.3 (118th)28.7 (68th)
Points allowed15.7 (15th)33.3 (127th)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

Michigan has no clear edge here. Its best is explosive play rate, 108th, against a defense ranked 132nd in explosive plays allowed. Rutgers has no clear edge here. Its best is 3rd down conversion rate, 30th, against a defense ranked 23rd in 3rd down conversions allowed.

MichiganRutgers
Pass yards / game167.9 (123rd)242.1 (56th)
Rush yards / game145.0 (96th)171.0 (61st)
Yards per play5.23 (123rd)6.65 (34th)
Yards per carry4.39 (118th)5.05 (75th)
Yards per attempt6.71 (109th)9.31 (17th)
Completion %56.6% (103rd)64.8% (60th)
Success rate39.9% (107th)47.4% (30th)
Explosive play rate10.5% (108th)12.6% (57th)
3rd down conversion39.1% (76th)46.3% (30th)
Sack rate (taken)6.9% (98th)8.1% (112th)
INT rate (thrown)4.0% (122nd)6.6% (134th)
SUPLEX49.3% (115th)61.5% (28th)

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

Michigan's defense is best placed to pick off passes: it ranks 19th in interception rate, and Rutgers' offense is bottom-20 at avoiding interceptions (134th). That's a mismatch. Rutgers' defense is best placed to pick off passes: it ranks 75th in interception rate, and Michigan's offense is bottom-20 at avoiding interceptions (122nd).

MichiganRutgers
Pass yards allowed / game158.0 (7th)219.3 (86th)
Rush yards allowed / game106.3 (10th)209.4 (128th)
Yards per play allowed4.49 (4th)6.74 (116th)
Yards per carry allowed3.48 (7th)6.85 (136th)
Yards per attempt allowed6.04 (25th)6.95 (63rd)
Success rate allowed35.2% (16th)45.4% (106th)
Explosive plays allowed7.3% (8th)15.5% (132nd)
3rd downs allowed32.3% (23rd)38.6% (72nd)
Sack rate (generated)7.6% (36th)4.3% (111th)
INT rate (generated)3.8% (19th)2.3% (75th)
SUPLEX allowed43.9% (14th)64.2% (131st)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

They split these evenly, 6 each. The biggest gap is line yards allowed per carry, where Michigan ranks 24th and Rutgers 112th.

MichiganRutgers
Big Uglies: offensive line50.2 (69th)50.6 (64th)
Big Uglies: defensive front56.0 (23rd)44.3 (104th)
Line yards per carry2.94 (92nd)3.10 (61st)
Line yards allowed per carry2.62 (24th)3.17 (112th)
Second-level yards per carry0.82 (128th)0.98 (101st)
Open-field yards per carry0.71 (122nd)1.28 (59th)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)15.7% (34th)13.9% (19th)
Stuff rate (defense)20.1% (52nd)19.3% (65th)
Power success (short yardage)73.3% (63rd)71.0% (77th)
Power success allowed62.5% (23rd)75.9% (100th)
Front-seven havoc allowed9.9% (93rd)7.4% (29th)
Front-seven havoc11.2% (33rd)9.3% (75th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

Michigan is −0.6 in turnover margin a game and Rutgers is −1.0. At about five points a turnover, that's roughly a 2-point edge for Michigan. Turnover margin rarely holds from one month to the next, so don't count on it.

MichiganRutgers
Interceptions thrown / game1.00 (105th)1.71 (134th)
Fumbles lost / game0.86 (116th)0.29 (20th)
Giveaways / game1.86 (126th)2.00 (128th)
Interceptions / game1.00 (22nd)0.71 (66th)
Fumbles recovered / game0.29 (94th)0.29 (94th)
Takeaways / game1.29 (56th)1.00 (88th)
Turnover margin / game-0.6 (108th)-1.0 (126th)

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

Michigan has the more talented roster (11th in the 247Sports talent composite; Rutgers is 48th). Michigan also plays further above its talent: −2.8 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to Rutgers' −7.8.

MichiganRutgers
Talent composite890.0 (11th)709.0 (48th)
Blue-chip ratio52.2% (15th)14.7% (50th)
Players on roster118 (25th)126 (5th)
Rated by 247Sports92 (18th)95 (10th)
5-star players4 (11th)0 (37th)
4-star players44 (10th)14 (45th)
3-star players41 (119th)81 (5th)
Below 3-star3 (53rd)0 (113th)
2026 transfers in19 (84th)16 (111th)
Transfer share20.7% (108th)16.8% (121st)
SP+ vs. talent-2.8 (81st)-7.8 (114th)
Returning production69.2% (22nd)44.4% (60th)
Returning passing production103.7% (5th)9.9% (81st)
Returning rushing production58.9% (60th)92.6% (25th)
Returning receiving production60.1% (28th)54.5% (38th)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)12 (12th)36 (36th)
Recruiting rank, last four classes12.8 (13th)40.5 (38th)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Which roster costs more?

Michigan's roster is valued at $33.3M, Rutgers' at $20.9M. Michigan also plays better per dollar: −4.8 points of SP+ above what its payroll predicts, to −11.1 for Rutgers.

MichiganRutgers
Roster value$33.3M (11th)$20.9M (45th)
Roster cost per win$8.3M (62nd)$10.5M (66th)
Projected wins per $1M0.21 (55th)0.17 (63rd)
SP+ vs. payroll-4.8 (52nd)-11.1 (66th)

NIL roster value from The NIL Standard (power-conference teams plus Boise State and Oregon State). Ranks are out of 70 teams with a valuation.

Where did each team's wins come from?

Michigan is +0.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is roster (+1.6). Rutgers is −1.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (−0.9).

MichiganRutgers
RECEIPTS (total)+0.5 (57th)-1.5 (115th)
Schedule RECEIPTS-0.6 (117th)-0.3 (99th)
Roster RECEIPTS+1.6 (8th)+0.3 (50th)
Coach RECEIPTS+0.0 (64th)-0.9 (107th)
Luck RECEIPTS-0.5 (102nd)-0.6 (107th)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

Michigan at Rutgers: questions people ask

Michigan vs. Rutgers prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick Michigan, 87% chance to win. All three ratings favor the same team. Michigan's best matchup is its run defense, 14th in EPA per rush allowed, against Rutgers' run game at 105th.

Where can I watch Michigan vs. Rutgers, and what time is it?

Sat, Oct 31, 12:30 PM ET at SHI Stadium. It's on BTN.

What's the projected score of Michigan vs. Rutgers?

SP+ projects Michigan 31–17. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for Michigan at Rutgers?

DraftKings has Michigan −16.5, total 45.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the Michigan vs. Rutgers series history?

Michigan leads 9–1. Last meeting: Michigan won 31–7 in 2023.

Who are the players to watch in Michigan vs. Rutgers?

Michigan: Bryce Underwood (936 passing yards), Jordan Marshall (316 rushing yards) and JJ Buchanan (539 receiving yards). Rutgers: Lonergan (1,066 passing yards), Antwan Raymond (648 rushing yards) and KJ Duff (774 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Michigan at Rutgers?

Michigan's is Bryce Underwood (936 passing yards this season); Rutgers' is Lonergan (1,066 passing yards this season).

Who's out for Michigan at Rutgers?

Rutgers: Lonergan (QB), out.

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Michigan and Rutgers: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.