luckadjusted
CFB Week 4 · 2026

College football · Week 13 2026 · Saturday, November 28

Michigan State vs Rutgers prediction and pick

Our Michigan State Spartans at Rutgers Scarlet Knights pick: Michigan State by 4.1, 59% to win. The forecast rates every team against the opponents it has played, this season and last, and adds home field. No betting information goes in.

An early look, 9 weeks ahead: it sharpens as the game comes up. Updated every day until kickoff, then frozen and scored. After the game this page shows who deserved to win.

Why the curves are so wide: luck. Even with both teams’ strength known exactly, one game’s bounces, kicks, calls and sequencing move the final margin by about ±12.1 points (one standard deviation, measured from every play since 2019). These forecasts carry ±17.1, so about 50% of the width is that luck; the rest is what nobody knows yet about the teams. That is why a 7-point favorite still loses about 3 times in 10.

Michigan State at Rutgers

Sat, Nov 28, time to be announced · SHI Stadium

Michigan State by 4.1 · 59% to win

Show as a table
OutcomeChance
Michigan State win59.5%
Rutgers win40.5%
Middle 50%: Michigan State by 16 to Rutgers by 750%
Middle 90%: Michigan State by 32 to Rutgers by 2490%
Middle 95%: Michigan State by 38 to Rutgers by 2995%
Exactly Michigan State by 36.5%
Exactly Rutgers by 36.0%
Exactly Michigan State by 75.2%
Exactly Rutgers by 74.3%
Exactly Michigan State by 143.5%
P50
Half of games like this end between Michigan State by 16 and Rutgers by 7.
P90
9 in 10 between Michigan State by 32 and Rutgers by 24.
P95
19 in 20 between Michigan State by 38 and Rutgers by 29.
Where the forecast comes from
Last seasonMichigan State+5.7
Home fieldRutgers+3.1
This season, against its opponentsMichigan State+1.5

The season so far

TeamRecordCoin-flip winsLuck in wins
Michigan State 2–2 1.1 0.0
Rutgers 1–3 1.4 −1.6

Coin-flip wins: the wins each team’s games were worth with only the kicks, bounces, drops and calls re-rolled, the record adjusted for luck. Luck in wins: actual wins minus what the play was worth.

Michigan State vs Rutgers: questions and answers

Who will win Michigan State vs Rutgers?

Our forecast picks Michigan State, with 59% to win; Rutgers win 41% of the time.

What’s the spread for Michigan State vs Rutgers?

Our spread: Michigan State −4.1. The betting line isn’t out yet. Ours uses no betting information, so where the two differ is where our read of the teams differs from the market’s.

When is Michigan State vs Rutgers?

Saturday, November 28, 2026 (kickoff time to be announced), at SHI Stadium.