All non-playoff bowl video games current a variety of unknowns, and the Charge Bowl really displays the thriller.
Each Rutgers and Kansas State will face off with out key gamers and there’s no discerning proof that one crew is extra centered or ready. So how does one handicap such a puzzle?
I used to subscribe to the blind rule of taking underdogs, when unsure. In any case, it’s not as if oddsmakers or the betting market have an correct gauge of the ability rankings for most of these bowl video games.
For instance, in Tuesday’s Hawaii Bowl, San Jose State initially opened as a 2.5-point favourite and the unfold reached as excessive as 4.5 factors. Nonetheless, within the hours main as much as kickoff, the favourite modified and South Florida closed as a 1.5-point favourite. Positive sufficient, the Bulls gained a quintuple-overtime marathon, 51-49, so grabbing the underdog all through many of the course of paid off.
The Scarlet Knights will play with out stud senior operating again Kyle Monangai, who ranked within the prime three in each dashing yards and dashing touchdowns within the Large Ten. He was the bell cow for a comparatively restricted Rutgers offense with 23.3 makes an attempt per sport.
The Wildcats will even have to switch manufacturing however simply to not the identical degree as Rutgers. Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson will play, and I consider that’s the distinction. There have been simply too many situations the place Rutgers bought torched by robust quarterbacks and strong offenses. I don’t suppose they’ll preserve the scoring tempo with out Monangai.
Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis might shock us and ship extra manufacturing when requested to take action. Plus, Greg Schiano is a strong coach with a robust observe report in bowl video games.
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However the Wildcats at their peak have been among the many extra extremely regarded groups. They began the 12 months with a 7-1 report and have been ranked sixteenth. And I’m a giant fan of coach Chris Klieman and really feel he’ll get his crew in the appropriate mindset to win this sport of unknowns.
THE PICK: Kansas State -7 (-110, ESPN BET)
