Two teams looking for their first conference win face off as UTSA visits Rice. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a UTSA-Rice prediction and pick.
UTSA enters the game sitting at 2-3 on the year. They opened up the year playing Kennesaw State, coming away with a 28-16 win. Still, they would lose back-to-back games. They lost to Texas State and Texas by a combined 105-17. They would rebound to beat Houston Christian but would fall in their last game. UTSA had the 13-10 halftime lead against East Carolina, but ECU would score 17 straight points in the second half. ECU would go on to defeat UTSA 30-20.
Meanwhile, Rice is 1-4 on the year. They opened with a loss to Sam Houston State before beating Texas Southern. Since then, they have been dominated on the road, losing to Houston and Army. Last time out, they would face Charlott. They led 10-0 at halftime but would be down 14-10 going into the fourth quarter. Rice would take the 20-14 lead late into the fourth quarter, but Charlotte would go on a seven-play, 77-yard drive in 58 seconds to score with 47 seconds left in the game and take the 21-20 win.
Here are the UTSA-Rice College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: UTSA-Rice Odds
UTSA: -5.5 (-112)
Moneyline: -205
Rice: +5.5 (-108)
Moneyline: +168
Over: 50.5 (-110)
Under: 50.5 (-110)
How to Watch UTSA vs. Rice
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why UTSA Could Cover The Spread/Win
Owen McCown has led the UTSA offense this year. He has completed 101 of 164 passes this year for 1,054 yards. Further, he has thrown seven touchdowns this year, while being intercepted just twice. He has been sacked 12 times this year though. McCown has also run in a touchdown this year. The top target has been Willie McCoy. He has brought in 15 receptions this year for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Further, Devin McCuin has 30 receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns.
In the running game, Robert Henry has led the way. He has 40 carries on the year for 194 yards and a touchdown. Kevorian Barnes has run the ball 39 times. Barnes has just 143 yards this year, going for 3.7 yards per carry this year, but has scored once. Brandon High Jr. rounds out the top backs on the year. He has 28 carries for 203 yards and two touchdowns on the year.
UTSA is 119th in the nation in opponent points per game this year. They are 105th in opponent yards per game this year while sitting 39th against the rush while sitting 126th against the pass. Jimmori Robinson has led the way this year. He has three sacks on the year while forcing a fumble and recovering a fumble. Owen Pewee has also been solid. He has a sack, a forced fumble, two pass breakups, and one interception. UTSA has 11 sacks on the year, while they have seven takeaways.
Why Rice Could Cover The Spread/Win
E.J. Warner has led the way for Rice this year. He has completed 109 of 178 passes on the year for 955 yards. He has seven touchdown passes on the year but has also thrown six interceptions. Further, he has been sacked three times this year. His top target has been Matt Sykes. He has 24 receptions on the year for 239 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Kobie Campbell has 11 receptions on the year for 121 yards and a touchdown. Further, Braylen Walker has 11 receptions for 103 yards and a score this year.
Dean Connors has the most receptions on the year coming out of the backfield. He leads the team with 29 receptions on the year, going for 139 total yards. He has also been the top guy in the backfield. He has 55 rushes for 369 yards and five touchdowns this year. Meanwhile, Taji Atkins has 24 rushes this year for 158 yards on the year with two touchdowns.
Rice has also struggled on defense this year. They are 96th in the nation in opponent points per game this year. Further, they are 67th in opponent yards per game. Rice is 103rd against the run while sitting 25th against the pass. The Rice pass rush has been stellar this year. Josh Pearcy and Michael Larbie both have 3.5 sacks this year. Meanwhile, four other players have 1.5 sacks on the season.
Final UTSA-Rice Prediction & Pick
Neither defense in this UTSA-Rice match-up is good. UTSA is giving up over 37 points per game on the year. Meanwhile, Rice is giving up 31.3 points per game. While both teams have struggled some on offense, they have both shown they can score against poor defensive units. UTSA put up 28 points in their first game, and Rice just put up 20 against ECU, who is better on defense than UTSA. The odds in this game favor UTSA, but Rice could get the upset. Still, the best play is on the total. Take the over in this one.
Final UTSA-Rice Prediction & Pick: Over 50.5 (-110)