The Rice Owls (1-2) travel to the banks of the Hudson River to take on the Army Black Knights (2-0) in American Athletic Conference play on Saturday, Sept. 21. The game kicks off at noon ET and can be seen live on CBS Sports Network.
The Black Knights have gone 2-0 against the spread in their two games this season, while the Owls sit at a paltry 1-2. At the same time, each side cashed the over once.
Army is a 6.5-point favorite in the contest with a total slated at 43.5, as of writing. So, where does the betting value like in Saturday's NCAAF showdown?
Let's take a look at my Rice vs. Army predictions and college football picks for Saturday, Sept. 21.
Rice vs Army Prediction
- Rice vs. Army Pick: Army -6
My Army vs. Rice best bet is on the Black Knights to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at Fanatics Sportsbook, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Rice vs Army Odds
| Rice Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -110 | 43 -110 / -110 | +225 |
| Army Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -110 | 43 -110 / -110 | -275 |
- Rice vs Army Point Spread: Rice +7 (-110) · Army -7 (-110)
- Rice vs Army Total: Over/Under 43
- Rice vs Army Moneyline: Rice +225 · Army -275
Rice vs Army Preview
Rice Owls Betting Preview: Struggles Everywhere
Rice has been very disappointing this year, and there's no better example of that than its 33-7 loss to crosstown rival Houston in its last game. The Owls couldn't generate any offense whatsoever, racking up only 159 yards and nine first downs — and half of that production came on the final drive of the game. Rice's first 11 drives resulted in 10 punts and an interception.
The Owls had zero explosive plays last week and averaged 2.9 yards per rush. Transfer quarterback EJ Warner has been really bad in his two starts against FBS competition this year, throwing one touchdown and three interceptions.
The defense has actually played OK, but the offense's disastrous performances have overshadowed that.
Offensively, Rice will be up against it against an Army defense that doesn't allow explosive plays. The Black Knights are top-25 nationally in pass play explosiveness allowed and run play explosiveness allowed.
The Army defense has allowed three plays over 20 yards all season with a long of 27. Meanwhile, Rice has only three pass completions surpassing 20 yards and has rushed for 122 yards on 43 attempts against FBS foes.
I'm not confident that a road environment against a tough, hard-nosed football team is the place to try to rework an offense and change up the game plan. However, the Owls may have no other choice.
Army Black Knights Betting Preview: Dominant Ground Game
Army comes in off a bye week after dispatching FAU, 24-7, its last time out.
The Black Knights have really looked the part this year, and the run game is humming. Personally, I've been very impressed with the explosiveness of the slotbacks.
It's worth noting that Army leads the nation in rushing, and its best player, Tyrell Robinson, hasn’t even played yet this season. However, he's close to returning after dealing with a serious knee injury that has held him out.
The advanced metrics also favor the Black Knights. They rank third nationally in EPA per Rush, first in Standard Down Success Rate and third nationally in Havoc Allowed.
Rice has a stout defensive front, but this unique rushing attack provides some challenges the Owls aren't used to seeing.
Plus, some of their rushing metrics are skewed by the fact that Rice allowed just 38 rushing yards on 34 attempts against Texas Southern. Excluding that game and focusing on FBS competition, the rushing numbers are quite average.
The Owls haven't faced an option foe since 2019, so none of these players have experience facing it in live game action.
Defensively, Army is allowing seven points per game this season, and the secondary has done a nice job of limiting explosive plays through the air.
Army vs Rice Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Rice and Army match up statistically:
Rice Offense vs. Army Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 84 | 118 | |
| Line Yards | 30 | 131 | |
| Pass Success | 129 | 97 | |
| Havoc | 83 | 83 |  |
| Finishing Drives | 3 | 20 | |
| Quality Drives | 117 | 9 | |
Army Offense vs. Rice Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 3 | 23 | |
| Line Yards | 3 | 76 | |
| Pass Success | 25 | 43 | |
| Havoc | 4 | 12 | |
| Finishing Drives | 2 | 80 | |
| Quality Drives | 8 | 47 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 67 | 59 |
| PFF Coverage | 6 | 112 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 88 | 40 |
| Middle 8 | 65 | 60 |
| Seconds per Play | 27.0 (60) | 34.2 (135) |
| Rush Rate | 42% (128) | 90% (1) |
Rice vs Army Pick & Prediction
I'm going to lay it with Army here.
Several books are still floating a number less than -7, so I'd find a line under a touchdown anywhere it's available.
It's worth noting that Army's opponents have had a total of five possessions in the second half. The Black Knights swallow the ball in the second half and dominate the time of possession.
When the Rice defense starts to wear down from seeing 55-plus run plays and the offense is on the sideline needing a score to cover this number late, it won't have many opportunities.
Army has scored on every second-half possession this season, further validating that their rushing game gets stronger as the game wears on.
Lay the points with Army at anything under a touchdown.
Pick: Army -6 (Play to -6.5)
How to Watch Rice vs Army Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location
| Location: | Michie Stadium, West Point, NY |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 21 |
| Kickoff Time: | 12 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | CBS Sports Network |
Rice vs Army Betting Trends
- Rice has landed 37% of the tickets and 46% of the money.
- Despite this game featuring a service academy, the over has taken 70% of the bets and generated 80% of the money.
Rice vs Army Weather
