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College Football Week 5 Odds Pick & Prediction: Rutgers vs. Ohio State (2022)

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Let’s take a look at the College Football Week 5 odds, picks, and predictions for this week’s game: Rutgers vs. Ohio State.

Check out our other best college football bets for Week 5:

Check out Thor Nystrom’s Week 5 College Football Power Rankings >>

College Football Week 5 Early Odds, Picks & Prediction: Rutgers vs. Ohio State

Rutgers vs. Ohio State

OSU Jaxson Smith-Njigba, who missed last Saturday's win over Wisconsin with an undisclosed injury (possibly an aggravation of the hamstring issue that caused him to miss two games earlier this season), appears very likely to miss this one as well.

OSU HC Ryan Day refused to disclose a timeline for JSN's return this week, only saying he was optimistic that Smith-Njigba wouldn't be out for a prolonged period of time. Day became a bit clearer when speaking to JSN's availability for this weekend: "It's a long season. I don't think we want to move forward until we all feel really good about everything."

If Smith-Njigba is out, the Buckeyes' aerial attack obviously downgrades a bit. And you'd have to imagine it would encourage a more run-heavy game script, particularly in this matchup as a 40-plus point favorite.

Rutgers plays good, fundamental defense. The Scarlet Knights rank No. 2 in PFF tackling and No. 5 in PFF run defense grade. That gives hope that Rutgers can prevent OSU RB TreVeyon Henderson from going ballistic.

Day's prerogative is to bag the win and turn the page as quickly as possible to prevent further injuries. And for whatever it's worth, Day and Schiano are friends from their days of serving together on the Buckeyes' staff. Day seizes every opportunity the media gives him to praise Schiano. If and when the game is no longer in doubt, don't expect Day to try to embarrass Schiano in the fourth quarter by running it up.

Pick: Rutgers +41

What is Betting Against the Spread?

Betting "against the spread" refers to the act of choosing the winning team based on a numeric handicap placed on the team that oddsmakers believe is superior, rather than picking the outright winner. For example, if the Rams face the Bengals, and oddsmakers set the spread at Rams -3.5, you would need Los Angeles to win by 4 or more points in order to cash your Rams bet.

What is an Over/Under Bet?

Over/Under is a wager based on how many points you think will be scored in a specific game. Oddsmakers set the total, and bettors decide whether the final score will be higher or lower than that number. If an Over/Under is set at 44.5 points and you bet Over, you will need the combined score of both teams to be 45 points or higher to win your bet.

What is a Moneyline Bet?

A moneyline bet involves choosing which team you believe will win a specific matchup. The moneyline favorite carries a minus designation, like -130. This means that you need to wager $130 to earn a $100 profit. Conversely, the underdog carries a plus designation, like +110. This means that you win $110 in profit on a $100 bet.

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