Western Michigan vs Rice Prediction 9/19/2026 Today’s College Football Picks

The Western Michigan Broncos and the Rice Owls meet Saturday in college football action from Rice Stadium in Houston. Here’s a Western Michigan vs Rice prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Western Michigan vs Rice pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Western Michigan Broncos Betting Preview

Western Michigan started out their season with an intimidating road matchup versus Michigan. The Broncos stood tall in that one though, eventually settling for a tough 13-12 loss as the game ended. QB Bryce Underwood was 12-of-22 for 170 yards, one TD and one interception. JJ Buchanan had a nice day on six catches for 126 yards and a touchdown for the Broncos.

In the Monmouth game last weekend the Broncos were able to get into the win column. Western Michigan was up 21-0 by the end of the first half, then ended up scoring in every quarter during a 49-14 victory. Broc Lowry threw for 212 yards and three scores while also leading the rush on 40 yards. Aveion Chenault caught four balls for 101 yards as well.

Rice Owls Betting Preview

Over on the Rice side, they got started with an opener game versus Houston Christian. The Owls scored 10 points in the second quarter and 14 more in the fourth during a 31-3 blowout win. QB Jacurri Brown had a pass TD and 98 rush yards, while Tyvonn Byars had 16 carries for 104 yards. D’Andre Hardeman added 77 yards and a TD off 11 totes of his own.

Matched up against Notre Dame, the Owls were overwhelmed early. Rice coughed up 21 points in both the first and second quarters, failing to find the scoreboard at all during a 52-0 road blowout shutout. Brown went 8-of-12 for just 64 yards and also led the rush with 32 yards on 16 carries. Byars managed seven carries for 24 yards in the defeat.

Western Michigan Broncos @ Rice Owls Betting Trends: Week 3

Rice Owls Player Prop Facts

• Heading into Week 3, Charlie Durkin ranks 2nd in the American Conference amongst qualified players for gross average yards per punt (47.0) this season.

Western Michigan Broncos Player Prop Facts

• Heading into Week 3, Jalen Buckley ranks 1st in the Mid-American Conference for rushing touchdowns (3) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• Rice ranks T133rd among FBS teams for Q1 opponent points per game this season (12.0).
• Rice ranks T132nd among FBS teams for H1 opponent points per game this season (22.5).
• Western Michigan ranks T13th among FBS teams for H1 opponent points per game this season (3.5).
• Western Michigan ranks T15th among FBS teams for red zone percentage against this season (60.0).

Western Michigan vs Rice Prediction

I’ll stay with Western Michigan. After the frustration of the Michigan loss in the opener, the Broncos were able to stretch their legs against Monmouth on 414 yards (266 passing), 7.3 yards per play and 24 first downs. WMU gave up 27 first downs and 11-of-20 on third-down tries but also came up with a couple of fumble recoveries on defense. The team should be in a great position for a big win here as well.

As for Rice, they couldn’t do anything versus Notre Dame—but that’s pretty much what we expected. The Owls logged just 128 yards, 2.8 yards per play, seven first downs and 2-of-12 on third-down conversions. The four lost fumbles were just icing on the proverbial cake. This weekend’s matchup will get easier, but it’ll still be an uphill climb in all likelihood.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Western Michigan Broncos -11.5