Rice vs. Tulsa Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Odds
Both Rice and Tulsa enter this game with a 3-3 record, but they have taken very different routes to get there. Can we trust Tulsa at home tonight against this high-powered Rice offense? Let's break it down.
Joey Ruiz - October 19, 2023, 1:40 PM EDT
7 minRice vs. Tulsa Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Odds
Tulsa enters this game with a record of 3-3 but it is worth nothing that two of their three losses have come against Washington and Oklahoma. These are two of the last unbeaten teams in the FBS and are both in prime position to make the CFB Playoff so some of Tulsa's peripheral stats are skewed a bit due to these lopsided losses against those two elite teams.
Rice vs. Tulsa Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: October 19, 2023
- Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN2
Rice vs. Tulsa Odds
- Spread: Rice +3 (+101), Tulsa -3 (-118)
- Total Odds: Under 57.5 (+102), Over 57.5 (-110)
- Moneyline Odds: Rice (+150), Tulsa (-165)
Rice vs. Tulsa Prediction
Even in Tulsa's other loss, which was on the road against Florida Atlantic last week, they covered the spread with a solid second half effort and were only outgained by two total yards (376-378) so they very well could have won if not for a few miscues here and there. One of Tulsa's biggest issues this year has been turnovers. The Golden Hurricanes are averaging 2.2 turnovers per game which is ranked 122nd in the country so they will need to do a much better job of taking care of the ball tonight if they want to take care of business.
Lucky for them, the Rice defense has not forced many turnovers at all. Rice is only averaging 0.6 takeaways per game which is 123rd in the nation as they have only forced five total turnovers on the season and two of those came against a dreadful FCS Texas Southern team.
Rice is averaging a turnover margin of -1.4 per game which is ranked 130th out of 133 FBS teams which has really hindered them this season. They essentially gave the game away in their last game against UConn as they were up 14-0 and then gave up back-to-back strip sack fumbles that both lead to easy touchdowns. Rice turned the ball over four times in that game against UConn which was very concerning as UConn is not exactly a juggernaut on that side of the ball.
The Tulsa defense is not an elite group by any means, but their metrics cannot simply be viewed in a vacuum due to their two games against Oklahoma and Washington. Against three FBS opponents who are similar in terms of talent/conference/record/etc (NIU, Temple, FAU), the Tulsa defense allowed an average of 20 points per game, an average of 329 yards per game, and forced six turnovers across those three games.
The Tulsa offense has also gained some momentum over their past three games as they have averaged just under 30 points per game and an average margin of victory of just under 10 points per game across their last three contests where they went 2-1. Tulsa is tasked with facing a Rice defense that has struggled mightily this season as they are ranked 113th in opponent points allowed per game (35) and 113th in opponent yards allowed per game (442).
Rice has really struggled against the pass this season as they are ranked 111th in yards allowed per passing attempt as they are allowing their opponents to gain 8.5 yards per pass. They also are not getting much pressure as they are ranked 71st in sack percentage and are not getting off the field on third down as they are allowing their opponents to convert 41% of their third downs, which is ranked 87th in the FBS.
Overall, I believe Tulsa is a much better team than their record or metrics may indicate, and I believe Rice is a much worse team than their record may indicate. Two of Rice's three wins have come against Texas Southern (A 2-4 FCS SWAC team) and East Carolina (1-5 and one of the worst FBS teams) so I think Rice will be a bit overmatched tonight. With that being said, I am rolling with Tulsa -3 at -118 for 1.5U as my most confident college football play of the day for tonight's action as I think the Golden Hurricanes win with some margin tonight at home.
Rice vs. Tulsa Pick
1.5U Tulsa -3 -118 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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