The Florida Atlantic Owls take on the Rice Owls in Houston, Texas. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Rice is favored by -4.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -200. The total is set at 54 points.
Here’s my FAU vs. Rice predictions and college football picks for Saturday, October 4, 2025.
FL Atlantic vs Rice Prediction
- FAU vs. Rice Pick: FAU +4.5
My Rice vs. FAU best bet is on the Owls spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
FAU vs Rice Odds
| FAU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -110 | 54 -110o / -110u | +165 |
| Rice Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -110 | 54 -110o / -110u | -200 |
- FAU vs Rice point spread: Rice -4.5
- FAU vs Rice over/under: 54 points
- FAU vs Rice moneyline: FAU +165, Rice -200
FAU vs Rice Pick, Betting Analysis
FAU is coming off a beatdown at the hands of Memphis, 55-26, but the Owls have been tested in the non-conference portion of their schedule, including a loss to Maryland in their season-opener.
On the other side of the field, Rice beat Charlotte in its American opener before losing to Navy on the road last week.
Can Rice bounce back? Or will FAU overperform as the 4.5-point 'dog? Evan Abrams' "Small Dog in Small Game" system says that the Owls from Boca Raton are the play in this American matchup.
The system has a negative return on investment (ROI) to start this season, but the overall ROI since its inception in 2005 is 11%.
"Small Dog in Small Game" is a college football system built around the idea that underdogs in lower-profile matchups can be undervalued when attention and betting volume are limited.
These games typically kick off in the afternoon or evening window and occur early in the season within the first nine contests, when teams are still developing identities.
The underdog in this range is small to moderate, with spreads between 2 and 11.5 points, and often comes into the game with little momentum, having won or lost only a game or two in a short streak.
Because betting activity on these contests is lower than the daily average, the market is less efficient and lines move very little from open to close, creating opportunities where perception has more influence than true performance.
When public money leans toward the favorite but not overwhelmingly, the small 'dog benefits from value created by these market dynamics and covers more often than expected.
Pick: FAU +4.5
