Thursday’s Rate Bowl pits the Rutgers Scarlet Knights against the Kansas State Wildcats. The game will take place at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. After starting the season with a four-game winning streak, the Scarlet Knights went 3-5 and finished the regular season with a 7-5 record.

The Wildcats lost three of their final four games in the regular season and finished the year with a record of 8-4. While Rutgers looks to win a bowl game in two straight years, Kansas State hopes to secure a bowl victory for the third time in the last four seasons.

What bets and player picks are worth making based on the college football odds at FanDuel Sportsbook for the Rates Bowl, which begins Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET?

All college football odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change after this article is published.

Rutgers vs Kansas State Betting Tips

Kansas State -6.5 (-120)

Although these two teams are separated by just one win, Kansas State is the more diverse squad heading into Thursday’s contest. On the offensive side of the ball, the Wildcats rank 18th in expected points per rushing attempt (.063) and 19th in expected points per quarterback dropback (.079). Avery Johnson It is a dual threat weapon from below.

Meanwhile, Kansas State’s defense ranks 26th in expected additional points per rushing attempt allowed (-0.051) and 33rd in expected additional points per drop-back allowed (-0.052), resulting in has them ranked 18th in total expected additional points (0.131). In comparison, Rutgers ranks 59th in total expected points (.029).

The Wildcats should also excel at avoiding third-and-long situations. They rank 31st in expected extra points early down (0.128), while the Scarlet Knights rank 98th in expected extra points early down (0.073). Additionally, Rutgers’ defense ranks 95th in success rate on third and fourth downs (42.5%), so their defense will have difficulty getting off the field in this matchup.

With the Scarlet Knights giving up six yards per play (100th in the nation) on the defensive side of the ball, I’m betting on Kansas State to win by at least seven points on the neutral side.

Avery Johnson over 51.5 rushing yards (-114)

One area where Kansas State will undoubtedly attack Rutgers’ defense is on the floor. The Scarlet Knights rank 103rd in rushing yards per attempt allowed (5.0), and Avery Johnson could handle more rushing volume DJ Giddens — the Wildcats’ leading rusher this season — will not play in the Rate Bowl after declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Although Johnson averaged 45.7 rushing yards per game in the regular season, he managed more than 64 yards in consecutive contests to close out the year. Additionally, Johnson has posted 60-plus rushing yards in 6 of his 12 starts in 2024, so there’s reason to believe he can reach 52-plus yards without Giddens.

For the Scarlet Knights, who rank 113th in defensive rushing success rate (46.1%), stopping the run hasn’t exactly been a strength. Rutgers has also given up over 100 rushing yards in all but three games this season and has allowed at least 5.1 yards per rushing attempt in six of those contests.

If Johnson can avoid picking up a few sacks against the Scarlet Knights, the fact that he has carried the ball more than 10 times in consecutive starts should lead to him turning in a solid rushing performance on Thursday.

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The above author is an employee of FanDuel and is not authorized to participate in public daily fantasy contests or place sports bets on FanDuel. The author’s advice does not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. Following the author’s advice is not a guarantee of a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports bets.