Texas poised to pile on Rice
Will a new offensive look keep No. 5 Texas from covering it’s sizeable spread against Rice on Saturday at 3:30PM ET?
Oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL currently list Texas as 30.5-point favorites against the Owls. The over/under has been set at 57.
Texas was 5-8 against the spread in 2009 while splitting the over/under evenly at 7-7. The Longhorns are 6-1 ATS as a 21.5-to-31-point favorite over the previous two seasons. The Longhorns are also 9-4 ATS against Conference USA since 1992.
Rice was 4-7 against the spread in 2009 but hit the over in 8 of 12 games. The Owls have struggled as an underdog of this size, going 4-12 ATS as an underdog of 21.5-to-31 points. The Owls are also just 24-39 ATS in non-conference games since 1992 and just 6-10 ATS as an underdog over the last two seasons.
Texas will have a new approach to its offense, going more pro style with an emphasis on the run as the team replaces Colt McCoy, but Rice has one of the worst defenses in the country from last season. We know the point spread is big, but all signs point to the Longhorns covering and the over hitting. It is technically a road game, but on the fast track of Reliant Stadium, Texas can rack up a lot of points.
OUR COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1 PICK: TEXAS -30.5 and OVER 57
Texas Longhorns -30.5 Over 57
Rice Owls +30.5 Under 57