Two prolfic offenses will be on display in this as the Rice University Owls (2-1) take on the Baylor University Bears (2-0). The country’s leading receiver, Corey Coleman (360 yards, 5 TDs) will be featured in this game. It kicks off Saturday, Sep 26 at 10:00 a.m. ET and will be shown on FSN.
In its last game before the bye, Baylor easily got past Lamar 66-31. Corey Coleman had a great game in the victory, pulling in six receptions for 182 yards and four TDs. Shock Linwood also had a great game with 130 yards and three TDs on 18 carries. Rice defeated North Texas 38-24 in its matchup. Dennis Parks had a huge game for the Owls, grabbing eight receptions for 163 yards and two TDs. Driphus Jackson had a great game as well, adding 373 yards and three TDs through the air.
A close score is not projected this week when the Owls, a huge 33-point underdog, take on Baylor.
While the Bears are currently 2-0 Straight Up (SU), they’ve fallen short Against The Spread (ATS) so far this year with a 0-2 record. A focal point of Baylor’s offense is its passing game, which ranks third in the country with 398 passing yards per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the ball, the Bears look to have a distinct advantage in certain spots. There will be plenty of opportunities for the Bears to steal the ball from Rice. The Owls currently rank 101st in turnovers given up with 2.3 per game. In the first quarter, Baylor is tough to stop, putting up a Division I-leading 20.5 points in the first 15 minutes.
Over on the other sideline, the Owls were a good bet ATS so far this season with a record of 3-0 to go along with a 2-1 SU record. Chances are Rice will continue to rely on its run game, where its 272.7 rushing yards per game ranks 11th in the nation. Moving on to the Rice defense, it has some favorable matchups that it may be able to take advantage of as well. Rice’s passing defense, only allowing 50.7% of passes to be completed, has a good chance of shutting down its competitor’s aerial attack. The Owls need to make the Bears turn the ball over. The Bears rank 109th in the country in turnovers with 2.5 per game. The Bears will have to stay focused in the second quarter against Rice. The Owls usually finish off the first half with dominance, averaging 17.3 points during the second quarter. Yellow flags will likely be a common sight during any game with Baylor. The Bears are one of the most penalized teams in the country with 12.5 calls per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Baylor, ATS Winner – Rice
Notes
Baylor is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games.
Baylor is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baylor’s last 6 games.
Baylor is 19-2 SU in its last 21 games at home.
Both teams are 2-0 SU when leading at halftime this season.
Based on overall FBS ratings, Baylor holds the upper hand in the passing game. Its passing attack (ranked third in the country) will face the 62nd-ranked pass defense of Rice, while its 28th-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 55th-ranked passing game of the Owls.
