Rutgers vs Northwestern Prediction: Are the Wildcats Really in the Big Ten Title Chase?

No one is there when it comes to Northwestern …. yet.

It played Indiana tough, but lost. It took every punch from Michigan State and came out alive with a thrilling 24-21 win, and the blowout over Penn State didn’t move the national needle as much as it should’ve.

But the Wildcats are 5-1 with a difficult, but not totally unmanageable, run coming up. First, they can’t biff the two-foot Rutgers putt.

The Scarlet Knights are mostly known as the team that lost to UMass to start the season, and they finally got a win over an FBS team in a 37-30 fight with Maryland.

There are winnable games coming up – at least, games that aren’t 100% sure-thing losses – but beating Northwestern would be a huge deal to turnaround the season.

• Rutgers is in the midst of a run of three road games in four, getting Michigan next week before going to Wisconsin.

• Northwestern doesn’t have any room to play around here, with a trip to Oregon next to start a run of three road games in four, including a trip to Ohio State.

• Rutgers won the 2023 opener over Northwestern 24-7, but the two teams are 3-3 all-time, with the series starting in 2020.

Rutgers is in the midst of a run of three road games in four, getting Michigan next week before going to Wisconsin.

Northwestern doesn’t have any room to play around here, with a trip to Oregon next to start a run of three road games in four, including a trip to Ohio State.

Rutgers won the 2023 opener over Northwestern 24-7, but the two teams are 3-3 all-time, with the series starting in 2020.

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
Game Time: 12:00 PM ET
TV: Peacock
Location: Ryan Field, Evanston, IL
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The Scarlet Knights can’t let Northwestern bog this down. This has to be an offensive firefight, and Rutgers is showing that it might be able to keep up.

It’s possible to throw on Northwestern. Ball State was able to do it in its 45-14 loss, and Michigan State had some success in the painful 24-21 loss in East Lansing.

Rutgers might not have a high-powered passing game, but Dylan Lonergan found a groove in the win over Maryland, throwing for 291 yards with three touchdowns. His main man is flying under the national radar, but KJ Duff has been one of the Big Ten’s best receivers – he’s only behind Jeremiah Smith in receiving yards per game.

Rutgers isn’t stopping the run. Maryland didn’t run enough against the Scarlet Knights, but it averaged well over four yards per carry. Indiana ripped off over 300 yards on the ground, UMass ran for 200, and Northwestern should have itself a day.

The Wildcats have a tough day against Michigan State and its hyper-jacked defense, but the things that worked with the wide-open holes that led to 413 yards against Penn State should be there as the game goes on.

Rutgers has been playing better over the last few weeks, but it’s not nearly consistent enough on either side of the ball to hang around for long. Northwestern will need about a quarter to get going, and then, in its shiny new-look stadium, the avalanche will come.

Rutgers has cut down on the turnovers, but there will be a few big mistakes that allow Northwestern to open this up.

Northwestern 38, Rutgers 20
Latest Consensus Line: Northwestern -16.5, o/u: 58.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 3
Must See Rating (out of 5): 2.5

Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.