Rice (1-4) vs UTSA (2-3)
Game Info: Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 7:00 pm (Rice Stadium)
The Line: Betting Odds: Rice +5.5 / UTSA -5.5 — Over/Under: 48.5
The UTSA Roadrunners and the Rice Owls meet Saturday in college football action from Rice Stadium. Here’s a UTSA vs Rice prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best UTSA vs Rice pick. We will examine:
The UTSA Roadrunners’ recent form and player performance
The Rice Owls’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the UTSA Roadrunners
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Rice Owls
Recent betting trends in games played between UTSA and Rice
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the UTSA vs Rice game
UTSA Roadrunners Betting Preview
The Roadrunners managed a 28-16 win over Kennesaw State in their opener this year. The next two games were both losses, however, 49-10 versus Texas State and 56-7 against Texas. UTSA bounced back with a 45-7 blowout win over Houston Christian in game four.
Back on September 28 in their last outing, the Roadrunners took another loss to East Carolina. UTSA was up 13-10 by halftime but ended up with a 30-20 result. QB Owen McCown logged 251 yards with a TD and two picks. Brandon High had seven carries for 92 yards and a score.
Rice Owls Betting Preview
Over on the Rice side, they lost to Sam Houston 34-14 in their opener but would beat Texas Southern 69-7 in game two. The Owls lost the next pair of outings to Houston 33-7 and Army 37-14 to slip to 1-3 through four games.
Matched up against Charlotte in their latest outing, Rice took a 10-0 advantage into the second half. The Owls were outscored 21-10 from there however and lost 21-20 in a tough outcome. EJ Warner threw for 254 yards and two scores. Dean Connors led the rush on 14 carries for 121 yards.
Why the Rice Owls will win
- Rice has won three of its last four October games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams.
- UTSA has lost three of its last four games.
- Rice has covered the spread in each of its last four October games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams.
- UTSA has failed to cover the spread in each of its last three road games.
Why the UTSA Roadrunners will win
- UTSA has won each of its last 11 October games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Rice has lost 10 of its last 12 home games in October.
- UTSA has covered the spread in each of its last five games against Rice.
- Rice has failed to cover the spread in each of its last four games as an underdog.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Rice’s last four home games in October has gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of UTSA’s last four road games against conference opponents has gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- Rice ranks T114th among FBS teams for 1st downs this season (88).
- Rice ranks T23rd among FBS teams for 1st downs against this season (83).
- UTSA ranks 123rd among FBS teams for passing yards allowed per game this season (271.8).
- UTSA ranks T116th among FBS teams for Q2 opponent points per game this season (10.4).
UTSA vs Rice Prediction
I’m leaning toward UTSA. The Roadrunners were able to hang with East Carolina in their last outing but ultimately came up short after a limp second half. UTSA logged 456 yards of offense (286 passing) in that one but also had 12 penalties for 79 yards and coughed up three turnovers.
As for Rice, they put up 463 total yards (209 rushing) and 23 first downs in their latest loss. The Owls weren’t terrible on defense, giving up 304 yards (67 rushing) and 5-of-14 on third-down tries. I like Rice to be competitive this weekend, but if the Roadrunners can eclipse 20 points or so I think it’s a UTSA cover.