Charlotte vs Rice Prediction College Basketball Picks 1/4/25

The Charlotte 49ers are visiting the Rice Owls on Saturday, January 4th at the Tudor Fieldhouse. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Charlotte 49ers vs Rice Owls Prediction. We will examine:

The Rice Owls’ recent form and player performance

The Charlotte 49ers’ recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Rice Owls

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Charlotte 49ers

Recent betting trends in games played between Charlotte 49ers and Rice Owls

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Charlotte 49ers vs Rice Owls game

Rice Owls Preview

The Rice Owls have a 10-4 record this season and are coming off a 70-64 win in Tulsa. The Owls are 7-6 against the spread, and 6-7 in over/under, while having a 5-1 home record.

Offensively, Rice is averaging 70.1 points per game, which is 300th in the nation. Defensively, they are allowing 65.5 points per game (49th). The Owls shoot 42.2% from the field (309th) and 31.6% from beyond the arc (283rd). The Owls shoot 67.2% from the free throw line (291st) and are grabbing 40.1 rebounds per game (37th).

Trae Broadnax leads Rice in scoring this season, with an average of 13.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and a team-high 4.1 assists. Kellen Amos adds 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Charlotte 49ers Preview

The Charlotte 49ers have a 7-7 record this season and are coming off a 68-83 loss to Tulane. The 49ers are 5-8 against the spread, and 9-4 in over/under while having a 1-3 road record. 

Offensively, Charlotte is averaging 73.4 points per game, which is 240th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 74.4 points per game (267th). The 49ers shoot 42.6% from the field (295th) and 29% from beyond the arc (343rd). The 49ers shoot 74.8% from the free-throw line (90th) and are grabbing 33.4 rebounds per game (313th).

Nik Graves leads Charlotte in scoring with an average of 17.1 points, 4 rebounds, and a team-high 3.2 assists, while Robert Braswell adds 12.8 points.  

Why the Rice Owls will win

• Charlotte has lost five of its last six day games.
• Rice has won five of its last six games at Tudor Fieldhouse.
• Rice has won the first half in six of its last seven games at Tudor Fieldhouse against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the Charlotte 49ers will win

• Rice has lost five of its last six games against the American Athletic Conference.
• Charlotte has won each of its last three games against Rice.
• Rice has lost the first half in five of its last six games against the American Athletic Conference.

Charlotte 49ers vs Rice Owls Prediction

Charlotte has won their last three meetings against Rice, while Rice is 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 meetings. Under is 6-1 in their last 7 meetings, and in their most recent meeting last season, Charlotte won 69-64 at home. In this Charlotte 49ers vs Rice Owls Prediction, Rice is coming as a -4.5 home favorite. Charlotte is better offensively, scoring 3.3 points more than Rice, while Rice is better defensively, allowing 8.9 points less. The Owls are winning by an average of 4.6 points this season, while the 49ers are losing by 1 point. Both teams are struggling offensively, scoring 143.5 points per game combined, while having bad shooting percentages, as the Owls are bottom-60 in field goal percentage, and the 49ers are bottom-20 in 3-point percentage. I expect a low-scoring game, so take the under.

Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Under 137.5