The UConn Huskies (4-3) welcome in the Rice Owls (2-5, 1-3 Sun Belt) for a Week 9 Saturday matchup at the Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
The Owls enter this one currently sitting at 2-5 on the year after finishing 6-7 a year ago. This will be a pivotal game for them if they want to make a bowl game this year.
The Huskies, meanwhile, have been a bit of a surprise this season, currently sitting at 4-3. They have already surpassed their win total from a year ago and look poised to make a postseason bowl game.
UConn enters as a -6.5 favorite with the over/under at 47.
Will the Huskies continue their winning ways, or will Rice get back in the win column? Let's take a look at my Rice vs UConn predictions and college football picks for Saturday, Oct. 26 below.
Rice vs UConn Picks, Prediction
- Rice vs UConn Picks: Over 47
My Rice vs UConn best bet is on both teams to go over the total, with the best line currently available at bet365, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Rice vs UConn Odds, Spread, Lines
| Rice Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -110 | 47 -110o / -110u | +210 |
| UConn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -110 | 47 -110o / -110u | -260 |
- Rice vs UConn Point Spread: Rice +7 · UConn -7
- Rice vs UConn Total: Over/Under 47
- Rice vs UConn Moneyline: Rice +210 · UConn -260
Rice Football vs UConn Football Preview
Rice Owls Betting Preview: A Step Back on Offense
Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren is in his seventh season in Houston coaching the Owls, and he has not had much success.
He has made only two bowl games in his seven seasons and hasn't finished with a winning record. He could be on his way out of Houston soon if he doesn't start picking up critical wins like this week’s matchup against Connecticut.
The Owls enter this one averaging 23 points per game with their pass-heavy offense. The Owls rank 12th in pass rate with quarterback E.J. Warner under center.
Warner hasn't been very effective this season with his 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions on the year. Their Pass Success Rate comes in at 126th as a result of his ineffectiveness this season.
The thing the Owls will need to key in on and utilize is their highly successful ground game. Their Rush Success Rate comes in at 64th, but the key stat for their ground game is their Rush Explosiveness, which ranks fifth nationally.
Their leading rusher, Dean Connors, is averaging over six yards per carry. While the Owls will likely stay in their pass-heavy offense, expect a few big runs from Connors and company that help sustain some Rice drives.
Rice has actually had a pretty solid defense despite its 2-5 record. It's allowing 26 points per game, but even that's a bit misleading.
The problem with this defense is not getting stops, but rather limiting points on opponent drives. The Owls rank 81st in Points Per Opportunity despite ranking 12th in Success Rate allowed.
The other problem with the Owls defense is limiting the big plays where they're 129th in Explosiveness allowed. Rice will need to bend, not break in this one while limiting touchdowns in order to give itself a chance to win this one on the road.
Connecticut Huskies Betting Preview: Plenty of Points Incoming?
Jim Mora is in his third season up in Storrs, and he has made a bowl game in one of his first two seasons there. This season is shaping up for another bowl game opportunity and a chance for Mora to finish with his first winning season at UConn.
As a home favorite in this matchup, it feels like he needs this one to keep the team on track for that postseason berth.
Joe Fagnano has led these Huskies to a fairly high-octane offense that averages nearly 34 points per game.
The Huskies have been one of the most explosive offenses in the country this season. They rank 24th in Explosiveness, which should help them put up points in a hurry against a team that struggles to limit the big plays.
Connecticut may struggle to sustain drives if it doesn't hit on these chunk plays, as it ranks just 97th in Success Rate.
I suspect the Huskies will lean into the running back duo of Cam Edwards and Durell Robinson on early downs to help set themselves up for big chunk plays in shorter-yardage situations.
The Huskies defense has been fairly good, allowing only 22 points per game.
They've given up nearly 350 yards of offense per game, which equates to a rank of 90th in Success Rate allowed on the season.
The Huskies should be able to slow the Owls offense, but they won't be able to stop them entirely. This defense is susceptible to allowing some chunk plays, as they rank 73rd in Explosiveness allowed.
UConn also struggles to force turnovers defensively, where the team has a -3 margin on the season.
How To Make College Football Picks For My Rice vs UConn Prediction
This game could be an ugly slugfest in Connecticut, but I'm banking on both offenses putting their best foot forward in this one.
I think both teams having explosive offenses while both defenses struggle to stop big plays will be the story in Storrs this weekend.
For that reason, I'll be taking over 47 points in this matchup.
Pick: Over 47 (-110, bet365)
Rice vs UConn Live: Start Time, TV Channel, How to Watch
| Location: | Pratt & Whitney Stadium, East Hartford, CT |
| Date: | Saturday, Oct. 26 |
| Kickoff Time: | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | CBS Sports Network |
Rice will face UConn in East Hartford, Connecticut, on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
UConn vs Rice Betting Trends
- 64% of bets and 98% of the money are on UConn to cover the spread
- 99% of bets and 100% of the money on the moneyline are on UConn to win outright
- 66% of bets and 41% of the money are on the over
Betting trends via our live, updating NCAAF public betting & money percentages page.
UConn vs Rice Weather
