Hit up the Sports Betting ‘Over’ between SMU & Rice

Sports betting continues Saturday night when SMU (2-2) travels to Houston, TX to take on Rice (1-3). SMU put forth a valiant fight last Friday night against in-state rival TCU, but ultimately came up short down the stretch. This will be the conference opener for Rice, and the Owls enter this contest off back to back homes losses by identical 30-13 scores.

SMU Mustangs vs. Rice Owls

Game Date/Time: Saturday, October 2, 7:00 ET
Game Location: Rice Stadium, Houston, TX
TV/Radio Broadcast: None

NCAA Football Odds

SMU (-12.5) –110
Rice (+12.5) -110
Over/Under 56

Rice is struggling again following a 2-10 season in 2009. The Owls defense has made some progress and is more experienced, but remember this team allowed over 43 points per game last season. The Owls have just one interception and a lack of pass rush should prove problematic against SMU quarterback Kyle Padron and the Mustangs run-n-shoot offense. The sports betting public loves to bet on favorites that can score, and SMU will do plenty of that Saturday night. 

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? If so JOIN NOW.]

Long-suffering SMU has the look of a Conference USA contender under third-year proven coach June Jones. The SMU Mustangs have already taken swings at a pair of Lone Star state heavyweights, Texas Tech and TCU. Despite four turnovers and five sacks with lost yardage, SMU was able to average 5.0 yards per play and score 27 points at Texas Tech in their opener. Last Friday night, the Mustangs showed well and stayed close to a very tough TCU team for three-quarters before falling 41-24. SMU ran the ball very well against a stingy TCU defense, as the Mustangs rushed for 192 yards at 6.6 yards per rush while rolling up 361 total yards and 5.6 yards per play. Those numbers should be meaningful since they will improve greatly against the Owls porous defense. If you like sports betting than the total should be of interest in this contest.
 
Rice has also battled tougher non-conference opponents, Texas, Northwestern and Baylor. Against Northwestern, a similar class opponent to SMU, the Owls had 377 yards offense, but four turnovers were costly as they scored just 13 points. Note that Rice quarterbacks passed for 288 yards against Northwestern at home and SMU’s pass defense is worse. For the Owls to have success they will have to put the ball in the air likely playing from behind. Both offenses should continue to improve, and facing weaker defenses we can expect plenty of yards and scoring. The sports betting marketplace has bet this total up to 56 and we agree with that move. 

NCAA Insider Tip: The Owls have competed well with SMU, going 7-1 ATS the last eight meetings including 7-0 ATS at home. The past four meetings between these teams have resulted in scores of 31-28, 56-27, 43-42, and 31-27. We expect another high-scoring game.  

My NCAA Football Predictions:  SMU Mustangs/Rice Owls ‘Over’ 56

Whether you’re looking for spreads, ‘totals’, or money lines, BetOnline Sportsbook provides the best sports betting options on the Internet.  Click here to find out more!