Rutgers vs. Michigan set for 12:30 p.m. Halloween kickoff on BTN at SHI Stadium

Michigan will visit Rutgers at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 31, at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, and Big Ten Network will carry the game. The conference announced the slot Monday, according to The Detroit News, and SB Nation's On the Banks followed with the full game details.

Rutgers will be playing in the early window for a third straight week, NJ.com noted. Its 37-30 win at Maryland also kicked off at 12:30 on BTN, and Saturday's trip to Northwestern starts at noon on Peacock. Rutgers Athletics is billing the day as "Halloween On the Banks," with the fan area opening at 8:30 a.m. and BTN's tailgate show broadcasting live from campus at 10.

The series has been lopsided. Michigan leads 9-1 and has won nine straight since Rutgers won the first meeting 26-24 in 2014, its first win over a Big Ten opponent as a conference member. The most recent game, in 2023, went to the Wolverines 31-7, Maize n Brew recalled. This will be Michigan's first trip to Piscataway since 2022 and only its second road game of the season. On the Banks argued that both programs are falling short of their own standards, with neither quarterback, Bryce Underwood at Michigan or Dylan Lonergan at Rutgers, developing as hoped.

Before Halloween, a hard Saturday for both

Both teams have a difficult game first. Michigan (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten) hosts No. 6 Indiana, the defending national champion, on Fox. The Wolverines have been winning close, low-scoring games. They beat Penn State 21-18 last week, but that came after one-score losses at Minnesota (20-14) and to No. 17 Iowa (20-19). Their best result is a 17-10 win over then-No. 11 Oklahoma, and they have scored 21 points or fewer in five of six games.

Indiana is favored on this site's board, -257 on the moneyline at Novig across 12 venues. Michigan is +245 at Novig and +250 at Hard Rock Bet, the best price available. Novig lists Indiana at -7.5 (+108), while bet365 has the Hoosiers at -6.5 (-128), so the venues differ by a point on the spread. The total sits at 41.5, which fits how Michigan's games have gone.

Rutgers (2-4, 1-2) plays at No. 24 Northwestern after beating Maryland for its first conference win. The Scarlet Knights have given up 30 or more points in four of their six games, including a 47-15 home loss to Indiana. They have also lost close games to No. 12 USC (42-35) and Boston College (28-21), along with a 37-21 opening loss to Massachusetts.

Northwestern is favored by a wide margin on the board for that game: -700 on the moneyline at Novig, with Rutgers at +669. Novig has the Wildcats at -16.5 (-104), and the best Northwestern number anywhere is Hard Rock Bet's -15.5 at -110. The total is 58.5 at Novig, while Pinnacle's best over price is 58 at -109. Sportsbook hold on the moneyline across the 11 venues ranges from 3.0% to 6.3%.

Whatever happens Saturday, the Halloween game is a chance for both teams to add a conference win. Rutgers' path to bowl eligibility probably requires breaking its losing streak against Michigan, and the Wolverines can't afford a third Big Ten loss if they want to stay in the top half of the conference.