The Rice Owls (+25) are traveling east to face their in-conference nemesis Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Joe Aillet Stadium. ESPN+ will broadcast the action and kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.
Rice Owls at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Betting Preview
Louisiana Tech is the heavy favorite and is currently giving up 25 points to Rice. Vegas has placed the over/under (O/U) at 52 points. It appears that this game will probably present some live betting possibilities.
This game’s line opened at -26. The O/U hasn’t moved after it was initially posted at 52.
The disappointing Owls have lost 5.2 units this season and are 4-6 against the spread (ATS). The team’s posted an O/U record of 6-4. The Bulldogs are up 2.0 units so far. The team is 5-4 ATS and has an O/U record of 4-5.
The Owls have gone 1-9 straight up (SU), including 0-6 SU against CUSA opponents. The Bulldogs are 6-3 SU overall and 4-1 SU in conference play.
The Owls are trying to bounce back after a 34-26 loss to UTEP last week. Wiley Green completed just 17 passes on 32 attempts for 313 yards, two scores and two interceptions. Emmanuel Esukpa (18 yards on 10 rush attempts, one TD) led the ground attack in the loss. Austin Trammell (eight receptions, 112 yards, two TDs) and Austin Walter (four catches, 104 yards) shared the receiving duties.
Louisiana Tech just lost convincingly 45-3 to Mississippi State. The team’s defensive unit allowed the Bulldogs to run for 289 yards on 36 rush attempts, including two rush TDs. Nick Fitzgerald put up a solid showing in the win for Mississippi State, accounting for 107 rushing yards on 18 attempts. For Louisiana Tech, J’mar Smith completed 14-of-30 passes for 98 yards. Kam McKnight (59 rushing yards on 13 attempts) spearheaded the ground game in the defeat while Cee Jay Powell (four receptions, 22 yards) and McKnight (two catches, 32 yards) led the receiving corps.
Rice has run the ball on 55.1 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Louisiana Tech has a rush percentage of 50.3 percent. The Owls have produced 140 rush yards/game (including 87 per game versus Conference USA opponents) and have 10 touchdowns via handoffs this year. The Bulldogs are logging 142 rushing yards per game (127 in conference) and have 14 total rush TDs.
The Owls offense has tallied 185 yards/game through the air overall (178 per game against conference opposition) and has 12 passing TDs so far. The Bulldogs have recorded 232 pass yards per game (204.2 in the CUSA) and have 13 total pass scores.
Defensively, Rice has allowed opponents to rush for an average of 179 yards and throw for 264 yards per game. The Louisiana Tech defense has given up 197.7 yards per game to opposing passers and 170.9 yards per game on the ground. The Bulldogs are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 5.34 to opposing QBs, while the Owls have given up a whopping 10.10 ANY/A.
Offensively, Green has put up 321 passing yards this year, and has connected on 47 percent of his 38 attempts with two scores through the air and four interceptions. He has a 4.54 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 6.56 over the last two games.
Austin Trammell, Austin Walter and Aaron Cephus have combined to account for 462 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns over the last two outings.
In the other locker room, J’mar Smith has managed to complete 156-of-274 passes for 1,821 yards, 11 TDs and six INTs. Smith’s ANY/A sits at 5.61 for the year and 4.51 over his past two outings.
We’re looking for the Bulldogs to control tempo by getting the ball into the hands of their running backs. Teddy Veal (459 receiving yards this season) has stepped up lately, but Jaqwis Dancy (393 rush yards, five rush TDs) and Kam McKnight (276 rush yards, four rush TDs, 33 receiving yards) have really been focal points in the Louisiana Tech offense.
When these two teams met last year, Louisiana Tech knocked off Rice by two touchdowns 42-28.
NCAA Pick: Rice Owls at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
SU Winner – Louisiana Tech, ATS Winner – Rice, O/U – Under
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Notes
Team Betting Trends
The Over/Under for Rice’s previous game going into it was 45.5. The over cashed in the team’s 34-26 defeat to UTEP.
As a team, Rice has produced 3.1 yards per carry over its last three games and 2.5 over its last two.
Louisiana Tech has averaged 4.1 yards per carry over its last three contests and 3.5 over its past two.
The Louisiana Tech offense has lost five fumbles this season while Rice has let seven get away.
In its last three matches, Rice is 2-1 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
The O/U for Louisiana Tech’s last match was set at 48.5. The under cashed in the team’s 45-3 loss to Mississippi State.
Over its last three contests, Louisiana Tech is 1-2 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
The Owls offense has tallied three pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Bulldogs have accounted for six such plays.
The Rice defense has allowed 15 pass plays of 40+ yards, while Louisiana Tech has given up three such plays.
The Rice offense has created 15 rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while Louisiana Tech has created 10 such runs.
The Owls defense has allowed 17 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Bulldogs have given up 19 such runs.
The Louisiana Tech D has notched more than twice as many sacks as Rice this year (26 versus 12).
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