After suffering through an up-and-down regular season, the Rice Owls look to finish on a high note and extend their winning streak to a season-high three games when they battle the Texas State Bobcats in the 2023 First Responder Bowl on Tuesday. The Owls (6-6, 4-4 American Athletic) are looking to post their first winning record since going 8-5 in 2014. The Bobcats (7-5, 4-4 Sun Belt) have already clinched their first winning season since 2014, when they went 7-5. Both teams have won twice in four previous meetings, the last coming in 1987.
The game will kick off at 5:30 p.m. ET from Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. Texas State is averaging 470.8 total yards per game, while Rice averages 376.8. The Bobcats are favored by 5.5 points in the latest Texas State vs. Rice odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 59. Before making any Rice vs. Texas State picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a strong profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. The model enters bowl season a profitable 13-9 on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Texas State vs. Rice and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine to see the model's CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and trends for Rice vs. Texas State:
- Texas State vs. Rice spread: Texas State -3.5
- Texas State vs. Rice over/under: 59 points
- Texas State vs. Rice: Texas State -170, Rice +143
- TXST: 6-6 ATS this season
- RICE: The Owls have hit the game total under in their last 3 games (+3.00 units)
- Texas State vs. Rice picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Texas State vs. Rice live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Texas State can cover
The Bobcats' leading rusher is sophomore running back Ismail Mahdi, who was named an All-American by four different organizations. He has 1,209 rushing yards on 199 carries in 2023, and is Texas State's FBS record holder for rushing yards in a season, a feat he accomplished in his first year as a Bobcat after transferring from Houston Christian. In addition to being the program's FBS record holder, Mahdi is the first 1,200-yard rusher in Texas State history since Claude Mathis set the school's overall record with 1,595 yards in 1997. Mahdi is fifth in the school's overall history for most rushing yards in a season. He needs 80 more rushing yards to tie Mathis for fourth on the program's all-time list.
On defense, junior defensive end Ben Bell has been making life miserable for opposing offenses. Bell is among the team leaders with 49 tackles, including 28 solo, but also has a team-high eight sacks for 67 yards, and one forced fumble. He is one sack away from tying the program's FBS single-season mark of nine set by Michael Odiari in 2014. Bell has registered 13 tackles for loss, second-best on the team. See which team to pick here.
Why Rice can cover
Redshirt junior wide receiver Luke McCaffrey is in his third season with the Owls after spending his first two years at Nebraska. He leads the team in receptions with 68 for 963 yards (14.2 average) and 12 touchdowns. He has also rushed 13 times for 101 yards (7.8 average). He has scored at least one touchdown in each of his last seven games and in 10 of 12 on the year. In the 24-21 win over Florida Atlantic on Nov. 25, McCaffrey caught a season-high 12 passes for 141 yards (11.8 average) and one TD.
On defense, sophomore safety Plae Wyatt leads the Owls in tackles with 75, including 42 solo. He has also registered one sack for nine yards, forced one fumble and recovered another. He has also broken up six pass plays. He has had three games with double-digit tackle totals, including a 12-tackle effort in a 30-28 loss to No. 22-ranked Tulane on Oct. 28. See which team to pick here.
How to make Rice vs. Texas State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 64 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Texas State vs. Rice, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has notched a profit of well over $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
