Opening the season with an in-state matchup, Rice and Sam Houston State meet in Houston on Saturday night.
The Owls have reached back-to-back bowl games for the first time since the 2013-14 campaigns and brought in a talented transfer quarterback in the portal.
Meanwhile, the Bearkats’ first season in the FBS did not go to plan, but there were signs late in the year to bring confidence into 2024.
There's only an hour separating these two schools, and I believe we should get a great showcase of Texas football on Saturday night. So, here's a Sam Houston vs. Rice prediction.
Sam Houston vs Rice Prediction
- Sam Houston vs. Rice Pick: Sam Houston +10
My Sam Houston vs. Rice best bet is on the Bearkats to cover the spread with the best line currently available at FanDuel, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Sam Houston vs Rice Odds, Betting Lines
| Sam Houston Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -108 | 50 -108 / -112 | +285 |
| Rice Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -112 | 50 -108 / -112 | -360 |
- Sam Houston vs Rice Point Spread: Sam Houston +9.5 (-108) · Rice -9.5 (-112)
- Sam Houston vs Rice Total: Over/Under 50
- Sam Houston vs Rice Moneyline: Sam Houston +285 · Rice -360
Sam Houston vs Rice Preview
Sam Houston Betting Preview: Keeler is Elite
With a veteran coach in K.C. Keeler, the hope for Sam Houston was that the school would be able to make a decent transition into a weak Conference USA. This didn't play out on the field.
The Kats went winless through the first eight games and only finished with a pair of victories in C-USA last season.
However, they did improve late in the campaign.
After the rough start, SHSU won three of its final four to join Liberty, New Mexico State and WKU as the only Conference USA teams to do so.
The late-season success didn’t stop Keeler from making some changes. The Kats welcomed 44 newcomers to the roster, and they hired the youngest defensive coordinator in the FBS, Skyler Cassity.
The other big additions come at quarterback as Jase Bauer transfers in from Central Michigan and Hunter Watson joins after leading Iowa Western Community College to the 2023 NJCAA National Championship.
Regardless of who Keeler goes with, this should be a step up from the play he had at the position last season.
Rice Betting Preview: Big Losses for Roster
After averaging under three wins a season early on in his tenure, coach Mike Bloomgren has rewarded Rice’s patience with consecutive bowl trips.
Luckily for Bloomgren, he can rely on a veteran squad to push for another bowl. The Owls return 15 starters across both sides of the ball, and they bring in a talented transfer quarterback.
Former Temple signal caller E.J. Warner will make his Rice debut in this one. He enters this season second to Memphis’ Seth Henigan in career passing yards and passing touchdowns in conference games among active players.
This was a key addition in the portal from Bloomgren after losing JT Daniels, who had one of his best collegiate seasons.
The other big loss in the offseason was Luke McCaffrey. The star receiver was drafted in the third round by the Washington Commanders after leading the team with 13 receiving touchdowns, so a new playmaker will have to step up for the Owls.
Sam Houston vs Rice Pick & Prediction
If you were just going by records from last season, this spread may look justified or even short, but I feel this game will be a competitive contest to the very end.
So, my best bet is to take Sam Houston State at +10. I would bet this down to +9.
The Bearkats were a lot more competitive than their record suggested last season. Their six losses in C-USA play came by an average margin of defeat of only 6.6 points with only one double-digit defeat.
Meanwhile, Sam Houston State also held the lead in the fourth quarter in four of those losses, which included a pair of defeats in overtime.
Yes, I understand how weak Conference USA is. However, this was the same team that covered the spread against bowl teams Liberty, Air Force and WKU.
On the other side of the field, Rice does bring back a lot of players from a bowl team, but I have to question the wins on the schedule. The Owls’ victories came over Houston, Texas Southern, East Carolina, Tulsa, Charlotte and Florida Atlantic.
None of those squads finished with a winning record in 2023. I just feel that this price has gone a bit too far, and I trust a proven winner in Keeler to get things turned around at Sam Houston State.
Pick: Sam Houston +10 |
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How to Watch Sam Houston vs Rice Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location
| Location: | Rice Stadium |
| Date: | Saturday, Aug. 31 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN+ |
Sam Houston vs Rice Betting Trends
69% of the bets are on Rice to cover the spread while 57% of the money is on the Owls to cover the spread.
