Rice vs. Memphis Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 11

Reed Wallach | 6 Hours Ago

Oct 26, 2024; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Rice Owls running back Dean Connors (0) runs the ball against the Connecticut Huskies in the first quarter at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Rice is off a shocking stunning upset against Navy, can the team continue to turn the AAC race upside down with a win against Memphis?

The Owls are back on the road to face the Tigers, who had entered the season as the betting favorite, but are off a stunning loss at UTSA that has hampered the team's chances of making the conference title game. A win is mandatory, but is Rice trending up?

Here's our full betting preview.

Rice vs. Memphis Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Rice: +9.5 (-110)
• Memphis: -9.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Rice: +255
• Memphis: -320

Total: 53.5 (Over -106/Under -114)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Rice vs. Memphis How to Watch

• Date: Friday, November 8
• Game Time: 9:00 PM EST
• Venue: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN2
• Rice Record: 3-6
• Memphis Record: 7-2

Rice vs. Memphis Key Players to Watch

Rice 

E.J. Warner: Warner returned from an injury against Navy to lead one of the bigger upsets of the Week 10 card, a 24-10 home win. Warner completed 70% of his passes with a touchdown and an interception in the victory. While his first year with Rice hasn’t gone all too well, Warner will look to finish on a high note with another big upset win in AAC play. 

Memphis

Seth Henigan: The senior quarterback is the engineer for a potent Memphis offense, but one that has struggled to close out wins this season, losing as a favorite of more than a touchdown twice this season. Henigan has performed well, though, passing for 2,532 yards with 16 touchdowns to only five interceptions. 

Rice vs. Memphis Prediction and Pick

Memphis continues to be untrustworthy as a favorite this season, 2-5 against the spread when facing FBS foes this season. 

Meanwhile, Rice is entering its second game under interim head coach Pete Alamar, but the team has been trending up for quite some time. The Owls have covered in four straight games (depending on the number you bet) out of its BYE week and now will be catching a big number yet again. 

The Owls defense has been sturdy all season, but the offense has lagged behind. The team is top 10 in tackles for loss this season and grades out top 20 in yards per play allowed, which can keep this game tighter than the points spread would indicate. 

Now, Rice’s offense continues to be middling, but the team has been formidable on the ground, ranking top 30 in explosive rush rate while playing at a slow tempo (105th in seconds per play). This is notable against Memphis, who is outside the top 100 in explosive rush rate allowed and has allowed 40 or more in three straight games, failing to cover in all three. 

Rice can slow this game down and continue its upward trajectory, I’ll grab the points. 

PICK: Rice +9.5

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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