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The UTSA Roadrunners take on the Rice Owls in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 3. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
UTSA is favored by -11.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -490. Rice, meanwhile, enters as a +11.5 underdog and is +365 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 55.5 total points.
Here’s my UTSA vs. Rice prediction and college football pick for Saturday, October 3.
UTSA vs Rice Prediction
- UTSA vs. Rice Pick: Over 55.5
My Rice vs. UTSA best bet is on both teams to go over the total. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
UTSA vs Rice Odds
| UTSA Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11.5 -110 | 55.5 -108o / -112u | -490 |
| Rice Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11.5 -110 | 55.5 -108o / -112u | +365 |
- UTSA vs Rice point spread: UTSA -11.5 (-110), Rice +11.5 (-110)
- UTSA vs Rice over/under: 55.5 (-108o / -112u)
- UTSA vs Rice moneyline: UTSA -490, Rice +365
UTSA vs Rice College Football Preview
UTSA Roadrunners Betting Preview: Offense Keeps Rolling
Hopefully you didn't blink during UTSA's game last week because that was the easiest over cash of the century.
The Roadrunners beat Colorado State, 59-45, in a game that featured more than 1,000 yards of offense, and there are plenty of reasons to expect UTSA to keep scoring in Houston.
Quarterback Owen McCown threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns last week and has now completed 68.9% of his passes for 862 yards, seven touchdowns and only one interception. He's also complemented with a loaded backfield.
Will Henderson III is averaging 6.5 yards per carry, Brandon High Jr. is above 5 YPC, and A'Marion Peterson has scored four times on just 21 carries. UTSA is generating +0.27 EPA/Play with a 47.4% Success Rate, including +0.25 EPA/Rush.
The Roadrunners are particularly lethal on standard downs, posting a 56.5% Success Rate to rank 14th nationally. Their offense is one of the most underrated units in the entire country.
That should allow head coach Jeff Traylor to stay aggressive rather than constantly operating behind the chains. I don’t expect the offense to slow down at all this week against Rice.
The problem has been the other side of the ball, where their defense has been getting gashed consistently. UTSA ranks 124th in EPA/Rush allowed and 128th in YPC allowed. That’s not going to get the job done, even against Rice.
Rice’s offense is nothing to write home about, but its funky option attack definitely adds some wrinkles the Roadrunners haven't seen this season. That leads me to believe their defense will be on the field for a long time.
Rice Owls Betting Preview: [Editorial Language]
Rice isn't going to win many beauty contests offensively, but this is a plus matchup against a bad UTSA defense.
The Owls are running for 268.9 yards per game behind 6-foot-4, 227-pound quarterback Jacurri Brown, and this is a nightmare schematic matchup for a UTSA defense ranked 133rd nationally against the run.
Brown has rushed 71 times for 399 yards and two touchdowns, while Tyvonn Byars and D'Andre Hardeman Jr. have combined for another 368 yards.
Rice's passing volume is almost nonexistent, but Brown has still thrown three touchdowns against only one interception, which at least forces UTSA to respect the occasional shot over the top.
With this offensive scheme, it will end up causing a lot of confusion for the Roadrunners' defense.
The Owls are coming off a 38-24 loss at Fresno State, and that performance is much more encouraging for their offense. Fresno State is nothing special, but at least Rice's offense showed up.
Rice is also getting healthier after younger players were forced into meaningful snaps earlier in September. With a healthier group coming in, I expect a stronger offensive output at home than many expect, especially in a plus matchup.
UTSA vs Rice Pick, Betting Analysis
This is another matchup where the defensive weaknesses line up beautifully with what the opposing offense wants to do.
Rice wants to run the football on seemingly every snap, and UTSA can't stop the run. The Roadrunners allow 5.2 YPC, +0.19 EPA/Rush and a 43.2% overall Success Rate, and Traylor openly acknowledged this week how difficult Rice's option is to replicate in practice.
If that doesn't tell you that this is going to be a high-scoring game, then I’m not sure what to tell you.
Even if Rice’s offense struggles somehow, I have the utmost confidence in UTSA’s offense here.
McCown has seven touchdowns against one interception, and UTSA owns a 56.5% Success Rate on standard downs. Plus, the Roadrunners just hung 59 on Colorado State.
UTSA's defense also faces 81 snaps per game, most in the country, which is an interesting ingredient for an over because Rice's option can create sustained drives without necessarily killing the overall scoring environment if UTSA answers quickly.
Even if the clock is bleeding a bit, there's plenty of potential for explosive plays here.
The total has bounced between 54.5 and 55.5, but some sharper money has started pouring in on the over. I don't expect a low-scoring contest, so give me all of the points in Houston.
Pick: Over 55.5
UTSA vs Rice Betting Trends
