by Chuck Sommers
Tuesday, Nov 15, 2022
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Venue: Rice Stadium, Houston, TX
Where to watch: ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: UTSA -13
FanDuel: UTSA -12.5
BetMGM: UTSA -12.5
Caesars: UTSA -13
Season record
UTSA: 8-2 (6-0 C-USA)
Rice: 5-5 (3-3 C-USA)
The college football fun never stops and we're inching closer to conference championship season. A lot of big games are still to be determined in who will play whom and where, and our top-notch handicappers have been at the forefront for the last month or so providing you with the winners you need to head into December with some confidence in your pocket. How can you be so sure? Of course you have to look at the likes of Kyle Hunter going 20-8-0 over the last 30 days, as well as Will Rogers at 22-14-0 over the last month. What about Vegas Writer? He's sitting at 12-6-1 over the last 30 days since joining our team of champion handicappers that has been killing it everywhere this year. You see the success rate. You need to be on board to join our guys who can get you where you need to go for the homestretch of the college football season. Make sure you're keeping tabs here at bigal.com to find out what our champion handicappers are thinking in all sports!
UTSA - Rice preview, analysis and prediction
Last week
UTSA: won 51-7 vs. Louisiana Tech
Rice: lost 45-10 at Western Kentucky
It doesn’t come as a surprise that the UTSA Roadrunners have run the table in the Conference-USA portion of their schedule. This is a team that has been good for a long time and has a chance to hit 10 wins heading into the conference title game. At 6-0 in conference play, the Roadrunners can clinch a spot in the C-USA title game with a win Saturday against the Rice Owls in their final road game of the season.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that the UTSA Roadrunners have run the table in the Conference-USA portion of their schedule. This is a team that has been good for a long time and has a chance to hit 10 wins heading into the conference title game. At 6-0 in conference play, the Roadrunners can clinch a spot in the C-USA title game with a win Saturday against the Rice Owls in their final road game of the season.
When you look back at UTSA’s season, it comes down to missed opportunities. Not capitalizing on that Week 1 loss at home to Houston in triple overtime, and then falling flat two weeks later at Texas in a potential statement game, UTSA could’ve been that team we look at down the road as a New Year’s Six player. Unfortunately, those two losses may have cost them in a pivotal year for the senior group, notably quarterback Frank Harris.
The Roadrunners are coming off a 51-7 win over Louisiana Tech last week that saw Harris throw for 216 yards and a touchdown, while also running for 47, but this day belonged to the running game. Kevion Barnes ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns, and Brenden Brady added two more scores and 53 yards on eight carries. Once that was established, the defense dominated against LA Tech, holding the Bulldogs to 259 total yards and forcing five turnovers.
This is a talented group that’s receiving votes in the AP Top 25, and you could say the Roadrunners have a case over the likes of those who jumped into the top rankings last week after Liberty, Illinois, NC State and Texas all lost. Another convincing win, and maybe some shakeup at the bottom could cause UTSA to leap into the rankings prior to the conference title game.
But we should not sleep on Rice for having its best season to date under fifth-year head coach Mike Bloomgren. The Owls have not been bowl eligible since 2014 when they won the Hawaii Bowl, and they’re one win away from getting there. Rice, however, is coming off a 45-10 loss at Western Kentucky last week. The Owls were held to 326 total yards and turned the ball over six times to a normally high-octane Western Kentucky offense.
It's a very respectable season Rice has put together, but going against these top-tier teams in the conference does not help their overall case. If Shawqi Itraish continues to throw for 96 yards on 11 of 18 passing and put pressure on the running game, it’s going to be a long day even if at home.
Prediction
UTSA is laying close to two touchdowns in this game, and it doesn’t seem like the best day to trust Rice’s defense against one of the best quarterbacks in all of the mid-tier conferences. UTSA’s defense hasn’t been any better, but the unit can rally for one game on the road to get the job done. UTSA by 21
Betting trends
UTSA is 21-15 ATS in the last three seasons.
UTSA is 12-8 ATS all-time as a road favorite.
Rice is 52-29 ATS as a home underdog since 1992.
Rice is 46-25 ATS after allowing 17 points or more in the first half in 2 straight games since 1992.
Statistical leaders
UTSA:
Passing: Frank Harris -- 3,039 yards, 22 TD, 6 INT
Rushing: Brenden Brady -- 623 yards, 9 TD
Receiving: Joshua Cephus -- 823 yards, 5 TD
Rice:
Passing: TJ McMahon -- 2,102 yards, 18 TD, 14 INT
Rushing: Cameron Montgomery -- 452 yards
Receiving: Bradley Rozner -- 733 yards, 8 TD
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
