Rice vs. Texas Prediction, NCAAF Picks, Best Bets & Odds: Saturday, 9/2
The first true Saturday of the college football season will kick off this weekend, and fans are chomping at the bit for the action to get underway. This is especially true for the Texas Longhorns fanbase, who want to qualify for their first-ever College Football Playoff this season. They have the right pieces in place, including the most important position on the field at quarterback, so now it’s time to prove they’re worthy of all the hype.
The Longhorns will begin their upcoming campaign on Saturday against fellow in-state school Rice Owls. This is the third meeting in the last five seasons between these programs, but the results are one-sided. Ahead, we’ll discuss our Rice vs. Texas prediction with odds via PointsBet Sportsbook, which currently offers a $1,000 sign-up bonus available for all new users who activate a new account today.
RICE OWLS VS. TEXAS LONGHORNS PREDICTION: Texas First Half Point Spread -21 (-120 at PointsBet Sportsbook)
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Rice Owls vs. Texas Longhorns Prediction for CFB Week 1
All discussions surrounding Texas football this season have lied mainly on QB Quinn Ewers. He’s a former 5-star prospect who began his career at Ohio State before transferring to Texas and is expected to take a massive second-year leap under head coach Steve Sarkisian. He flashed greatness at times last season but wasn’t consistent enough week in and week out. On defense, the Longhorns should be much improved from a season ago, although depth may be a concern.
On the Owls’ side, they amassed their highest season win total of five last campaign since 2015-16. That just shows how mediocre the program has been the past decade, and we don’t foresee them giving Texas any trouble this weekend. Look for the Longhorns to come out energized and take a big lead into halftime, which is exactly what our Rice vs. Texas prediction highlights below.
Rice vs. Texas Picks & CFB Best Bets for Week 1 Including Texas First Half Spread -21
To document why we like the Longhorns to snag a huge 1st half lead, let’s look back at the previous two recent matchups between Rice and Texas. In 2019, the Longhorns captured a 31-point lead heading into halftime, whereas they led by 34 at the break in 2021. As they say, history tends to repeat itself, and we believe it has a good chance of doing so on Saturday.
It’s also important to note how both teams typically perform in season openers. The Owls were pummeled 66-14 a season ago by USC, and last year’s Trojans squad has striking similarities to this year’s Longhorns in terms of hype and expectations. For Texas, they clobbered UL Monroe to open things up in 2022-23 and led at the half by exactly 21 points.
Although the Longhorns should have no problem doing whatever they please on the field Saturday, 35 points is a lot to lay for any matchup. It’s possible that the Owls could get a back-door cover once Texas’ starters are out, so we’re staying away from the game spread. We like them to come out clicking on all cylinders, however, and showcase their much-discussed talent.
So, our Rice vs. Texas prediction will officially side with Texas 1H -21 (-110 at PointsBet).
How to Start the Journey to Claiming up to $1,000 in Bonus Bets With Texas First Half Spread -21 at PointsBet Sportsbook
Whether you end up tailing our Rice vs. Texas prediction or not, you’ll want to place all your college football betting action at PointsBet Sportsbook. Like we mentioned previously, they currently have a $1,000 bonus offer up for grabs for new users. To claim it, simply follow along with the process below:
- Click here to create a new PointsBet account; no promo code is required
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If your wager happens to lose, you’ll be credited with a bonus bet of the same amount. This is the case for your first fixed odds wager of the day for the first 10 days you’re a member of PointsBet, totaling a potential $1,000. Our Rice vs. Texas prediction is the perfect opportunity to kickstart this promotion, and you can do exactly that by using this link to become a member at PointsBet now.
Latest Rice vs. Texas Odds, Spread & Betting Lines for Saturday Presented by PointsBet
We wouldn’t provide you our Rice vs. Texas predictions without also displaying the betting odds and lines for the matchup. Courtesy of PointsBet Sportsbook, here they are:
- Rice Owls (+1700) vs. Texas Longhorns (-10000)
- Spread: Rice +35 (-108) vs. Texas -35 (-112)
- Total: Over 59 (-108) vs. Under 59 (-112)
- 1st Half Point Spread
- Texas Longhorns -21 (-120) vs. Rice Owls +21 (-110)
You’re welcome to place a wager on any game market you please, but we’re going a little out of the box and selecting Texas’ 1st half point spread. A $12 wager on the Longhorns -21 in the 1st half would return a profit of $10 if they end up being ahead by at least 22 points at halftime, while an $11 bet on Rice +21 in the 1H returns $10 of winnings if they’re losing by fewer than 21 at the end of the first half.
University of Texas Football Schedule for 2023
Rounding out our Rice vs. Texas prediction for their matchup on Saturday, we’ve decided to lay out the full schedule for the Longhorns this season. Each and every one of these games will be able to be bet on at PointsBet, so you might as well create a new account today to prepare for all season long.
- vs. Rice, September 2
- @ Alabama, September 9
- vs. Wyoming, September 16
- @ Baylor, September 23
- vs. Kansas, September 30
- vs. (NS) Oklahoma, October 7
- @ Houston, October 21
- vs. BYU, October 28
- vs. Kansas State, November 4
- @ TCU, November 11
- @ Iowa State, November 18
- vs. Texas Tech, November 24
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