Houston looks to stay undefeated as they face Rice. It is time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Rice-Houston prediction, pick, and how to watch.

Rice enters the game at 3-5 on the year. They started with a win over Saint Thomas (TX) and then lost five straight. They have won their last two games though. Last time out they faced Houston Christian. Rice took off after being down one at the 17:04 mark of the second half. They took the lead and never looked back, winning 65-56.

Houston enters the game at 6-0 on the year but does not have a major win yet this year. They have faced mostly mid-major teams this season, with the closest game of those being with Dayton. A game they won 69-55. The only power conference team they have played so far is Utah. The game was tied at 56 with 7:08 left in the game. Houston then stepped up on defense. They allowed Utah to score just ten more points, winning 76-66. Last time out, they beat Xavier. It was a close game, tied at the 6:34 mark of the second half. From there, they held Xavier on a long scoreless streak and would win 66-60.

Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: Rice-Houston Odds

Rice: +28.5 (-114)

Houston: -28.5 (-106)

Over: 140.5 (+100)

Under: 140.5 (-122)

How to Watch Rice vs. Houston 

Time: 8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PM PT

TV: Big12 Network/ESPN+

Stream: FuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why Rice Will Cover The Spread

Rice comes into the game ranked 217th in KenPom's rankings this year, while sitting 175th on offense and 263rd on defense efficiency this year. Rice has been led by Travis Evee. He comes into the game averaging 17.0 points per game this year while shooting 33.3 percent from three-point range this year. He also has been solid overall, with 3.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game this year.

Meanwhile, Mekhi Mason comes in second on the team with 13.6 points per game this year and also has 4.0 rebounds per game. The main rebound man has been Max Fiedler. He comes in with 9.1 points per game but also has 9.4 rebounds per game this year. Fiedler also moved the ball well, leading the team with 5.6 assists per game.

Rice is not the best shooting team this year. They sit 257th in effective field goals percentage this year, while also sitting 247th in shooting efficiency. This is not a heavy three-point shooting team either, and when they do take the three, they struggle. Rice sits 311th in three-point shooting this year. On the board, Rice does not get a lot of second-chance opportunities, sitting 243rd in offensive rebounds this year, while sitting 158th on the defensive side.

One of the major issues is the turnover game though. They turn the ball over on 14 percent of their possessions, which is 99th in the nation, but they only force turnovers on 13.6 percent of opponent possessions, which is 279th in the nation.

Why Houston Will Cover The Spread

Houston enters the game ranked number one in the nation, while also being ranked first in adjusted efficiency according to KenPom. The Cougars also sit 18th on offensive efficiency. They do not score a ton, sitting 123rd in the nation in points per game at 75.0. They have been led on offense by LJ Cryer. He is scoring 17.8 points per game this year while shooting 43.5 percent. Cryer is also their primary three-point shooter, with 70 of his 115 attempts on the year being from behind the arc. He is coming off another great performance. In his last two games, he has scored 47 points combined, with totals of 23 and 24.

Meanwhile, Emanuel Sharp has been solid as well. He comes into the game with 11.7 points per game this year, while also having over a steal per game. The offense is also aided by Jamal Shead. He comes in leading the team in assists, having 6.0 per game.

On defense, Houston ranks number one in adjusted defensive efficiency and number one overall in scoring defense, allowing just 50.4 points per game. Ja'Vier Francis is a big part of the defense. He is averaging just under one steal per game while also having 1.5 blocks per game. Meanwhile, Shead is also a big part, coming in with 2.9 steals per game this year as the team is averaging 11. A big part of being able to control the game has been rebounding. Houston averages 41.4 rebounds per game, led by J'wan Roberts with 8.3 per game.

Houston is third in the nation in opponent effective field goal percentage, while being second in overall shooting percentage. They allow the least amount of made baskets per game, while the second leading amount of attempts. Houston also completed the offensive rebounding game. They get an offensive rebound 39.6 percent of the time, which is sixth in the nation.

Final Rice-Houston Prediction & Pick

This is set up to be a very one-sided affair. The Rice offense is not very good and struggles. Even more, the Houston defense forces bad shots regularly. They are also the far superior rebounding team. The second chance points will be a major difference in this game as Houston covers with ease.

Final Rice-Houston Prediction & Pick: Houston -28.5 (-106)