Baylor vs. Rice Prediction
Can No. 21 Baylor win, and win by a lot when it hits the road to face Rice tonight at 8PM ET on ESPN?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Baylor is the clear favorite in tonight’s contest of Texas schools, as the Bears are getting odds of -31 points against the Owls. The over/under total is listed at 64.5 points. Baylor has won and covered the spread in seven straight meetings with Rice, including a 70-17 win last season at home.
A new coach hasn’t meant less results on offense this season for Baylor. If anything, it’s meant a better defensive showing. The Bears have given up just 20 points this season and held opponents (Northwestern State and SMU) to just an average of 241.5 yards per game. The offense isn’t amassing quite as much offense, but still putting up 47.5 points and 517 yards per game thus far. Seth Russell continues to lead the offense, as he has thrown for 424 yards and six scores. The Baylor run game is the real strength, though, amassing 550 yards in two games. Three players have run for over 130 yards over the first two weeks.
Rice is off to a very slow start, suffering a 46-14 loss at Western Kentucky and a 31-14 loss at Army. Could the Owls turn things around at home? Possibly, but Rice was just 2-3-1 against the spread on its home turf last season. Rice is giving up yards in bunches, allowing 531.5 per game thus far, and those are against offenses far less potent than Baylor. On the flip side, the Owls aren’t moving the ball very well, posting just 290 yards per game and under 100 yards per game on the ground. Quarterback Tyler Stehling has thrown for 383 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 81 yards, but he also has three interceptions.
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Baylor would tend to be a team I would be worried about when it comes to having to give up 31 points. The Bears weren’t much for defense in past seasons, but have done a good job of limiting their weaker opponents this season. Rice should also fit into that category. The Owls are a mess on both sides of the ball, which means a lot of short possessions for the Baylor defense and a lot of big plays for the Baylor offense.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 3 PREDICTION: BAYLOR -31