Texas State vs. Rice prediction, odds, start time: 2026 Armed Forces Bowl picks by proven model
SportsLine's model has revealed its Rice Owls vs. Texas State Bobcats picks for the Armed Forces Bowl 2026 on Friday
An all-Texas matchup will take place in the Armed Forces Bowl 2026 on Friday as the Rice Owls face the Texas State Bobcats. Rice (5-7), who got into a bowl due to a lack of .500 or better teams, has lost back-to-back games, including a 52-3 thrashing at the hands of USF in its last contest. Texas State (6-6) has won three in a row, most recently defeating South Alabama, 49-26. The 2026 Armed Forces Bowl is a rematch of the 2023 First Responder Bowl, which the Bobcats won 45-21. Rice will be without starting quarterback Chase Jenkins (transfer portal).
Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET from Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. After opening at -6.5 earlier in bowl season, the Bobcats are now substantial 18.5-point favorites in the latest Texas State vs. Rice odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points is 55.5. Before making any Rice vs. Texas State picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
New users can target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $200 in bonus bets if your $5+ bet wins:
The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times, and it is 31-19 on its top-rated college football money-line picks since the beginning of the 2024 season.
Now, the model has set its sights on Texas State vs. Rice. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the FBS college football odds and trends for Rice vs. Texas State:
Texas State vs. Rice spread | Texas State -18.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook |
Texas State vs. Rice over/under | 55.5 points |
Texas State vs. Rice money line | Texas State -952, Rice +619 |
Texas State vs. Rice picks | |
Texas State vs. Rice streaming | Fubo (Try for free) |
New users can also check out the latest FanDuel promo code and get $250 in bonus bets at FanDuel if your $5 bet wins.
How to make Rice vs. Texas State picks
After simulating Texas State vs. Rice 10,000 times, SportsLine's model is going Over on the total (55.5 points). For the Bobcats, the Over has gone 5-2 over their last seven games, while the Over is 4-2 over the last six for the Owls.
Texas State has scored 30-plus points in 10 of 12 games this season, which is already tied for the most in program history as quarterback, Brad Jackson, has been one of college football's most underrated players. Entering bowl season, he ranked in the top 10 in the country in passing efficiency, yards per attempt and completion percentage.
As for Rice, it has seen an uptick in points, both for the team and against it, over the last two-thirds of the season. The Owls' first four games averaged 42.6 combined points, but their last eight games have averaged 56.9 total points. With the two starting quarterbacks projected to combine for 5.4 total touchdowns on average, fans in Fort Worth will be in for a show. The model projects 66 combined points going on the scoreboard as the Over hits in nearly 70% of simulations.
The model also says one side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time. You can see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Rice vs. Texas State, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Texas State vs. Rice spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that's simulated this matchup 10,000 times, and find out.
