Rice vs Southern Miss Betting Picks and Prediction
Our next betting picks and prediction college football preview features the Rice Owls (5-7) taking on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (6-6) in the LendingTree Bowl.
Kickoff from Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, is scheduled for 5:45 pm EST on Saturday and will be broadcast on ESPN as part of a six-game slate on the NCAAF schedule that day.
This is the first time that Rice, bowl eligible after their seventh-place finish in Conference USA, will be appearing in the LendingTree Bowl.
Southern Miss, third-place finishers in the Sun Belt West, are making their third trip to Alabama after winning in 2000 (then known as the Mobile Alabama Bowl) and again in 2007 (known then as the GMAC Bowl).
Rice Owls vs. Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Matchup Info
- Date: Saturday, December 17, 2022
- Time: 5:45 p.m. ET
- Venue: Hancock Whitney Stadium
- Location: Mobile, Alabama
- How to Watch: ESPN
These two programs split their 12 head-to-head meetings when both participated in Conference USA before the Golden Eagles’ departure to the Sun Belt. And this matchup keeps a streak alive of nine consecutive years. The two will square off on the gridiron.
Rice Owls Performance Recap and Analysis
Rice is back in a bowl game for the first time since 2014, securing a bid this year despite their 5-7 record due to their academic progress rate.
The Owls will be backing their way into this game after losing three straight to close out the regular season, scoring just 34 points combined in defeats to Western Kentucky, UTSA, and North Texas. Keep all that in mind when considering Rice Owls picks.
Their last win came on November 3 over UTEP, which marked the fourth time during their 2022 campaign that they improved their record above .500.
Their five wins are the most for the program and their NCAAF standings since 2015. However, they still need to post back-to-back winning seasons for three years between 2012-14, arguably the most successful run in the school’s history.
Key Injuries
There is a lot to sift through with college football injuries now that we’re in December, and Rice was not immune throughout its up-and-down season.
They dealt with the bug on both sides of the ball, but the two most notable injuries worth monitoring leading up to kickoff, especially when making Rice vs Southern Miss betting picks, are to QB TJ McMahon and WR Luke McCaffrey.
McMahon hasn’t played since getting banged up in the blowout loss to WKU, and McCaffrey also missed the final two games.
Both are uncertain to play Saturday, opening the door for true freshman AJ Padgett to be under center come kickoff time.
Betting Trends to Know
Rice is 6-1 ATS in their last seven games in December and 3-1 SU in their last four bowl games dating back to 2012.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles Performance Recap and Analysis
Southern Miss Golden Eagles standings show they nearly backtracked their way to a bowl game like their opponent, but the Golden Eagles won their regular-season finale on the road against UL Monroe, snapping a three-game skid to even up their record at 6-6.
The team was making noise midway through the year, winning three straight games in October to improve to 3-1 in the Sun Belt, hanging stride for stride with Troy and Southern Alabama.
The Golden Eagles’ non-conference slate included NCAAF matchups with the likes of Tulane, Liberty, and Miami, as they knocked off the Green Wave and took the Flames to four overtimes in the opener.
Key Injuries
Much like their LendingTree Bowl opponent, there are question marks under center for the Eagles. They have played three different quarterbacks this season due mainly to Ty Keyes injuring his hand in that Tulane win and missing the rest of the season.
Zach Wilcke filled in from there, taking over in late September before giving way to Trey Lowe. The senior West Virginia transfer will likely get the nod on Saturday.
Betting Trends to Know
Southern Miss is 7-0 ATS in their last seven non-conference games, and they finished the regular season 8-3-1 ATS overall.
Rice vs. Southern Miss Odds
When making your Rice vs Southern Miss Betting Picks, consider Southern Miss a 6.5-point favorite in this game, with an over/under of 46.5 points.
The spread has stayed pretty consistent since the bowl games were announced, but the total has decreased considerably from 48.5 at one point.
Rice vs. Southern Miss Betting Picks
Moneyline (Southern Miss -250)
Neither team played particularly well down the stretch, and we wouldn’t recommend an official play on the moneyline, but for this section, the Eagles get the nod since they have the better overall team.
Over/Under (Under 46.5)
There’s too much uncertainty and inconsistency at the quarterback position for both schools to have any confidence that this game will result in a shootout.
Spread (Southern Miss -6.5)
Southern Miss gets the edge here because of running back Frank Gore, Jr. Gore went for over 1,000 yards this season, and Rice is 91st against the run in the country.
The Owls are also 83rd in the nation in total offense, so there’s a chance this one gets ugly.
Rice vs. Southern Miss Score Prediction
Here is our final Rice vs Southern Miss betting picks: The Golden Eagles soar and cap off their season with a 27-13 win in what could be one of the more lopsided NCAAF games this weekend.
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