Rhode Island vs. Merrimack prediction: Why Rhode Island is favored to win in college football Week 0 [2026]

Merrimack and Rhode Island will lock horns in Week 0 college football action at Duane Stadium on Friday, with kickoff at 6:00 PM ET.

Dimers' proven college football model projects Rhode Island as the most likely winner in this Rhode Island vs. Merrimack prediction.

This article offers a closer look at Friday's matchup, including an expanded look at the predicted score, best bets and picks, backed by the same system that has dominated college football and NFL betting markets across multiple seasons..

Rhode Island vs. Merrimack prediction: Who will win and cover?

Using powerful machine learning and data, we have simulated the result of Rhode Island vs. Merrimack, forming part of our college football predictions coverage.

Our famous predictive model gives Rhode Island a 91.8% chance of beating Merrimack. Our predicted final score has Rhode Island winning 35-15.

According to our model, Merrimack (+21.5) has a 53.8% chance of covering the spread, while the over/under total of 47.5 points has a 60.7% chance of going over.

Rhode Island vs. Merrimack odds

We have researched the best college football odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

• Spread: Rhode Island -21.5 (-110) / Merrimack +21.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Rhode Island -1600, Merrimack +1000

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Rhode Island vs. Merrimack picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best current odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets in this matchup. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

• Spread: Merrimack +21.5 @ -110 via DraftKings
• Moneyline: Merrimack @ +1000 via Fanatics
• Total: Over 47.5 @ -110 via Bet365

According to our college football best bets, the top play to make on this game is Over 47.5 total points.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the sportsbook odds.

Rhode Island vs. Merrimack game-day updates and essential details

Friday's college football game between Merrimack and Rhode Island at Duane Stadium is scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM ET.

• Who: Rhode Island vs. Merrimack
• Date: Friday, August 28, 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM ET/3:00PM PT
• Venue: Duane Stadium

Conclusion

We predict Rhode Island, with a 91.8% win probability, will likely beat Merrimack in Friday's college football matchup.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.