| MATCHUP | East Texas A&M Lions | Rice Owls |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Where | Tudor Fieldhouse, Houston, TX | |
| When | Thursday, November 5, 2026 | |
| Time | 08:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
East Texas A&M vs Rice Prediction
I’ll stick with East Texas A&M, so long as they don’t suffer the proverbial “big-win hangover” in this one. The Lions waltzed right into Lloyd Noble Center on Monday and powered out an impressive road victory over Oklahoma on Monday. Texas A&M shot 44 percent from the field along the way with 41 percent from 3-point range and 33 rebounds. There are a few things to improve upon, like the 54 percent (7-of-13) from the line and the 15 turnovers. Still, considering East Texas A&M led for 78 percent of the game and held a 16-point lead at one time, it was an excellent road win for the opener.
As for Rice, they took care of business against an overmatched Dallas Christian squad in their home opener on Monday. The Owls shot 45 percent from the field in that one with 33 percent (14-of-43) from 3-point range and a 58-34 rebounding edge. Rice got minutes for a lot of the bench guys during mop-up time in the blowout victory so it was a complete effort across the board. With the Lions coming in riding high after their big victory in the opener, we’ll get a better idea of Rice’s capabilities here.
Game Info, Stats and Previews
The East Texas A&M Lions and the Rice Owls meet Thursday in college basketball action from Tudor Fieldhouse. Here’s a collection of relevant information and reasoning for a sound East Texas A&M vs Rice prediction. We have looked at this information from a betting perspective and attempted to determine the best East Texas A&M vs Rice pick. We will also examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. We will tie it all together to the pick summary, resulting in a sensible prediction for a favorable betting outcome in this game.
East Texas A&M Lions Betting Preview
East Texas A&M didn’t have the greatest season in 2025-26. The Lions went just 11-21 overall with a 6-16 run in Southland Conference games. That result would leave the team ahead of only Southeastern Louisiana (also at 6-16) in the standings. East Texas A&M finished off the regular season on a 1-6 run and failed to qualify for the conference tournament.
This year East Texas A&M opened up with a tricky road matchup against Oklahoma at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. The Lions held the lead most of the way in that one, eventually powering out an impressive road win 68-64. Tops in scoring was Bo Aldridge with 22 points, five assists, two steals and three rebounds. Mohamed Diakite added 15 points with seven boards and three steals, while Alonzo Dodd had 15 points, five rebounds and two turnovers in 25 minutes of action on the floor in the victory effort.
Rice Owls Betting Preview
Over on the Rice side, they’re coming off a pretty disappointing season. The Owls went just 13-18 overall last year with a 7-11 showing in the American Conference.
In their first game of the season on Monday versus Dallas Christian at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston, the Owls didn’t have too many issues. Rice cruised to a 100-55 blowout victory with Jacob Dar leading the charge on 20 points and eight rebounds. Jimmy Oladokun added 15 points with seven boards and three steals, while Tristan Vukotic topped the bench scorers on 13 points, two rebounds and two steals in the win.
East Texas A&M Lions @ Rice Owls Betting Trends: November 5, 2026
Why the Rice Owls will win
- Rice has won 12 of its last 13 night games against the Southland Conference.
- East Texas A&M has lost 24 of its last 30 night games.
- East Texas A&M has lost the first half in nine of its last 10 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Why the East Texas A&M Lions will win
- Rice has lost eight of its last nine Thursday night games.