Rate Bowl: Best Bets and Player Props for Rutgers vs. Kansas State

Thursday's Rate Bowl will pit the Rutgers Scarlet Knights against the Kansas State Wildcats in a game that will take place at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. After beginning the season on a four-game winning streak, the Scarlet Knights went 3-5 to finish the regular season with a 7-5 record.

As for the Wildcats, they lost three of their last four contests in the regular season to conclude the year with an 8-4 record. While Rutgers is seeking to win a bowl game in back-to-back years, Kansas State is hoping to secure a bowl victory for the third time in the last four seasons.

Using the college football odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, which bets and player props are worth taking for the Rate Bowl that kicks off on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET?

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

Rutgers vs. Kansas State Betting Picks

Kansas State -6.5 (-120)

Despite just one win separating these teams, Kansas State is the more well-rounded squad entering Thursday's contest. On the offensive side of the ball, the Wildcats are 18th in expected points added per rushing attempt (0.063) and 19th in expected points added per drop back (0.079) with quarterback Avery Johnson being a dual-threat weapon from under center.

Meanwhile, Kansas State's defense is 26th in expected points added per rushing attempt allowed (-0.051) and 33rd in expected points added per drop back allowed (-0;052), which has led to them being 18th in total expected points added margin (0.131). In comparison, Rutgers is 59th in total expected points added margin (0.029).

The Wildcats should also excel at avoiding third-and-long situations, ranking 31st in early down expected points added (0.128) while the Scarlet Knights are 98th in early down expected points added allowed (0.073). Additionally, Rutgers' defense is 95th in third and fourth down success rate (42.5%), so their defense will struggle to get 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'll back Kansas State to win by at least seven points at a neutral site.

Avery Johnson Over 51.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

One area Kansas State will undoubtedly attack Rutgers' defense is on the ground. The Scarlet Knights are 103rd in rushing yards per attempt allowed (5.0), and Avery Johnson could handle more rushing volume with DJ Giddens -- the leading rusher of the Wildcats this season -- not playing in the Rate Bowl after declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Even though Johnson averaged 45.7 rushing yards per game during the regular season, he rushed for 64-plus yards in back-to-back contests to conclude the year. Furthermore, Johnson has scampered for 60-plus rushing yards in 6 of his 12 starts in 2024, so there's reason to believe he can achieve 52-plus yards without Giddens available.

Stopping the run hasn't been a strong suit for the Scarlet Knights, who are 113th in defensive rushing success rate (46.1%). Rutgers has also surrendered 100-plus rushing yards in all but three of their games this season while allowing at least 5.1 yards per rushing attempt in six of those contests.

If Johnson can avoid taking a few sacks against the Scarlet Knights, the fact he's carried the ball 10-plus times in back-to-back starts should lead to him putting up a solid rushing performance on Thursday.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.