Pick details
| MATCHUP | Houston Christian Huskies | Rice Owls |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| Spread | +22.5 -112 | -22.5 -108 |
| Moneyline | +1500 | -3600 |
| Total | Over 47.5 (-112) | Under 47.5 (-108) |
| Where | Rice Stadium, Houston, TX | |
| When | Saturday, September 5, 2026 | |
| Time | 07:00 PM EDT | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
Rice Preview
Rice finished last season with a 5-8 overall record, a 2-6 conference record, and placed 11th in the American Athletic Conference. They had a 3-4 home record and a 2-4 road record. Offensively, the Owls scored 19.1 points per game (ranking 121st in the nation). Defensively, Rice allowed 32.9 points per game (ranking 124th in the nation). They averaged 302.4 total yards per game (204.8 rushing, 97.6 passing) and gave up 403.8 total yards per game (163.7 rushing, 240.2 passing).
Chase Jenkins led the Owls with 119/172 completed passes and 1,025 total passing yards, throwing 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Quinton Jackson led the team in rushing yards with 889, adding a team-high 6 rushing touchdowns, while Aaron Turner had a team-high 63 caught passes for 986 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. Defensively, Andrew Awe led the team with 106 total tackles (50 solo), while Tony Anyanwu led Rice in sacks with 6.5.
Houston Christian Preview
The Houston Christian Huskies are coming off a 34-28 road victory over the SE Louisiana Lions, where they were outgained by their opponents 361-398 yards and had 60 total plays. Houston Christian had 200 passing yards, 161 rushing yards, and 11/19 completed passes. The Huskies were 8/15 on third down conversions while losing the turnover battle 3-1.
Cutter Stewart led Houston Christian with 10/18 passes, 173 passing yards, and 2 touchdowns, adding a team-high 95 rushing yards. Jamaal Hall II caught 2 passes for a team-high 71 receiving yards and one touchdown. Defensively, Javon Bejarano led the Huskies with 10 total tackles, 5 of them solo, while Jayven Anderson had one sack.
Houston Christian Huskies @ Rice Owls Betting Trends: Week 1
Why the Rice Owls will win
- Rice has won eight of its last 10 home games in September.
- The favorite has covered the spread in each of Rice’s last five games.
- Rice has won the first half in each of its last nine September games as a favorite.
Why the Houston Christian Huskies will win
- Rice has lost six of its last seven season openers.
- Rice has failed to cover the spread in each of its last five games against teams from Texas.
- Rice has lost the first half in each of its last nine games.
Total Points Facts
- Eleven of Rice’s last 12 games against non-conference opponents at Rice Stadium have gone OVER the total points line.
Rice Owls Player Prop Facts
- Quinton Jackson ranked 47th amongst FBS players for rushing attempts (180) last season.
Matchup/League Facts
- Rice ranked 136th among FBS teams for red zone percentage against last season (100.0).
- Rice ranked 135th among FBS teams for passing yards per game last season (97.6).
Houston Christian vs Rice Prediction
In this Houston Christian vs Rice Prediction, Rice is coming as -22.5 home favorites. Houston Christian is coming off a bad season in the FCS with a 2-10 record, where they allowed more than 30 points per game and had a terrible -13.4 point differential. Rice is also coming off a bad season where they ranked outside the top-120 of the country both offensively and defensively, having a -13.8 point differential and also had trouble covering spread, going for 5-8 ATS in the season. They finished last season with a 2-6 ATS record in their last 8 games and while they are the favorite to win, this spread is too big. Take Houston Christian by +22.5 points in this one.
Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Houston Christian +22.5
