The Memphis Tigers take on the Rice Owls in Houston, Texas. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Memphis is favored by 10 points on the spread with a moneyline of -485. The total is set at 145 points.
Here are my Memphis vs. Rice predictions and college basketball picks for February 2, 2025.
Memphis vs Rice Prediction
My Pick: PASS | Lean Rice +9 or Better
My Memphis vs Rice best bet is on the Owls spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Memphis vs Rice Odds
| Memphis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10 -112 | 145 -110 / -110 | -485 |
| Rice Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10 -108 | 145 -110 / -110 | +370 |
- Memphis vs Rice spread: Memphis -10
- Memphis vs Rice over/under: 145 points
- Memphis vs Rice moneyline: Memphis -485, Rice +370
- Memphis vs Rice best bet: PASS | Lean Rice +9 or Better
Spread
I'm passing on this game altogether. But if I were going to bet it, I'd take the points with Rice.
Moneyline
I'm passing on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm passing on the total.
My Pick: PASS | Lean Rice +9 or Better
Memphis vs Rice College Basketball Betting Preview
On the surface, this is the perfect buy-low, sell-high opportunity.
Memphis has won four straight since its road loss to Temple, but those four opponents shot a combined 24-for-89 (27%) from 3-point range.
The Tigers’ eight conference opponents have shot 26% from 3, so I think their defense is a little overvalued and due for regression.
Conversely, Rice has lost six straight games, including two by one possession. We should be able to catch a falling knife with the Owls at some point.
This isn’t the worst spot to do it. You typically want to back Penny Hardaway’s Tigers as an underdog and fade them as a favorite. Memphis is 12-17 ATS as a road favorite since 2021.
From a schematic perspective, Owl guards Trae Broadnax and Kellen Amos will have some interesting isolation hunting opportunities. But they’d have to beat the Tigers’ press first, which they haven’t done all year (.78 PPP, 18th percentile, per Synergy).
Memphis is weak on the boards, and Rice crashes the offensive glass at a top-50 rate nationally (per KenPom), so the Owls could generate key second-chance opportunities here.
However, Rice’s turnover issues against the press and inability to force turnovers against Memphis’ questionable ball-handling will negate any potential shot-volume advantages.
On the other end of the court, Rice is a surprisingly good cutting and posting defense, which should keep Dain Dainja from dominating down low.
However, the Owls are also a brutal dribble-penetration and transition-denial defense, which doesn’t bode well in a matchup with PJ Haggerty and Tyrese Hunter.
From a situational perspective, I like the Owls. So, if I were to bet on this game, I’d lean that way.
But from a schematic perspective, I can’t trust them in this matchup.
