Rice vs UTSA Expert College Football Picks

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Alamodome

Wiley Green and the Rice Owls are headed to Alamodome on Saturday where they'll take on the UTSA Roadrunners. UTSA opens this contest as 3-point dogs. The Owls are 3-2-1 ATS and 3-3-0 when betting on the total. The Roadrunners are 1-3-2 when wagering on the over/under and 2-4-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the Rice Owls played the UAB Blazers and took the defeat by a score of 35-20. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Owls was Wiley Green who went 15/34 with 161 yards through the air and threw 2 TD's. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. Aston Walter paced the team in rushing in the game. He had a long run of 64 yards and he added 1 TD for the game. He scurried for 102 yards via 16 carries which meant he was running for 6.4 yards per tote. Austin Trammell led the team in receiving yardage with a total of 113 yards on 5 receptions. He notched an average of 22.6 yards per reception in the game. The Owls rushed the ball a total of 37 times and added 134 yards which gave them an average of 3.6 yards per rush. For the game, they totaled 73 plays which added up to 305 yards. For the game, the Owls totaled 22 1st downs and they had a total of 6 penalties for 65 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. When it comes to their defensive performance, Rice allowed 14 completions on 26 attempts for a total of 282 yards, and a completion percentage of 53.8%. On the ground, the Owls allowed 129 yards on 35 carries which is an average of 3.7 yards per rushing attempt allowed. For this contest, they gave up 411 yards and forced 2 turnovers.

The Owls head into this matchup 0-6 for 2019. For total yards, they are currently ranked 12th in C-USA and 125th in D-1 with 1,729 yards. They are one of lowest scoring teams in the nation averaging 15.7 points per game, which has them at 127th in D-1. As a unit, they are averaging 122.8 rushing yards per game which is 11th in Conference USA. The Owls have one of the most lackluster defenses in the country, allowing 30.3 points per game ranking them 9th in Conference USA. When talking about rushing yards, Rice is giving up 161 yards per game putting them 8th in C-USA and 72nd in D-1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.4 yards per rush which has them at 8th in Conference USA and 80th in the country overall. Overall, they have allowed 966 yards rushing through 6 games. When it comes to passing yards, the Owls have allowed 992 yards. Teams are completing 66% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 9.2 yards per try.

Related: Gambling 101 Series on How Odds are Calculated - Watch Tony George Explain

In their last game, the UTSA Roadrunners played the UAB Blazers and were defeated 33-14. Lowell Narcisse led the team in rushing in the game. He tore off a long run of 25 yards and he ran for 1 touchdown for the game. He scurried for 89 yards via 17 carries which meant he was running for 5.2 yards per tote. Carlos Strickland II was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 41 yards on 2 catches. He had an average of 20.5 yards per reception in the game. Leading the way at QB for the Roadrunners was Lowell Narcisse who went 8/19 with 94 yards passing but wasn't able to get any balls in the endzone via the pass. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. The Roadrunners rushed the ball a total of 34 times and earned a total of 130 yards which earned them an average of 3.8 yards per attempt. On the day, they ran 54 plays which gave them a total of 224 yards. In the game, the Roadrunners had a total of 12 first downs and they totaled 9 infractions for 78 yards telling us that this team was extremely undisciplined. When it comes to their defensive performance, UTSA gave up 17 completions on 26 attempts totaling 294 yards, and a completion percentage of 65.4%. For this contest, they gave up 496 yards and forced 2 turnovers. On the ground, the Roadrunners gave up 202 yards on 39 tries which means they had an average of 5.2 yards per attempt allowed.

Related: Get college football predictions on all of today's games

The Roadrunners step onto the field holding a record of 2-4. UTSA has built a respectable ground game this year by averaging 186 rushing yards per contest, ranking them 48th in college football. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 1,116 yards rushing through 6 games, so they'll look to the run game to try to keep the opponents off balance so they'll have open receivers. The Roadrunners average 316.8 yards per contest overall which has them at 120th in Division 1 and 11th in the conference. The Roadrunners are allowing 32.5 points per game which puts them at 10th in C-USA and 105th in the nation. When it comes to points allowed, they have allowed 195 points in total. In terms of yards rushing, they are giving up 221.2 yards per game which puts them at 122nd in D-1 and 12th in the conference. This year, they have allowed 1,327 yards on the ground and 13.8 rushing touchdowns. Their passing defense is one of the top groups in Division 1. They are allowing 177.2 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Roadrunners currently sit at 3rd in Conference USA.

Who will win tonight's Owls/Roadrunners NCAA football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Roadrunners +3

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Guy Bruhn