Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our FIU vs Rice NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Houston.
FIU vs Rice Prediction
Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Golden Panthers and Owls. The game is starting at 7:00 ET on ESPN+, and it's hosted by the Owls at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston, TX. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 147.5 points, and Rice is favored by -5.5 at home against FIU.
FIU vs. Rice Matchup At A Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: FIU Golden Panthers at Rice Owls
- Where: Houston at Tudor Fieldhouse
- Date: Tuesday, November 5th
- Betting Odds RICE -5.5, FLINT +192 | RICE -241 O/U 147.5
Golden Panthers Preview: Taking a Look at the Golden Panthers Chances on the Road
FIU Golden Panthers Records
FIU finished last season with a 10-22 overall record, going 6-12 in Conference USA play. At home, they were 9-8, but they struggled on the road, posting a 1-14 record.
Against the spread, the Golden Panthers were 14-18, with a 6-9 mark in road games. As underdogs, they went 4-17 straight-up and 9-12 ATS. Their average O/U line was 147.1 points, and they had an 18-13-1 O/U record, with their games averaging 148.5 points.
Golden Panthers Offense Breakdown
FIU averaged 73.6 points per game last season, ranking 57th in possessions per game with 69.2. The Golden Panthers shot 43% from the field, placing 278th in field goal percentage, and had an effective field goal percentage of 50%, ranking 236th. They made 8.6 three-pointers per game, ranking 68th, but shot just 33% from beyond the arc, placing 259th. FIU also struggled at the free-throw line, making 11.5 per game, ranking 311th.
Returning for FIU are guards Jayden Brewer and Dashon Gittens. Brewer played in 33 games last season, averaging 8.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game. Gittens appeared in 22 games, averaging 9.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per contest.
Golden Panthers Team Defense
FIU struggled defensively last season, allowing 76.5 points per game, which ranked 285th in the nation. Opponents shot 39.5% from beyond the arc against them, placing FIU 479th in 3-point defense. They also gave up 19.7 free throws per game, ranking 229th in that category.
One bright spot for FIU was their ability to create turnovers, averaging 10.2 steals per game, which ranked 6th in the country. They also averaged 4.1 blocked shots per game, ranking 79th nationally.
Owls Preview: Taking a Look at the Owls Chances at Home
Rice Owls Records
Rice finished last season with an 11-21 record, including a 5-14 mark in AAC play. At home, they went 6-12, with an average scoring margin of -1.7 points per game. On the road, they were 5-9, losing by an average of 6.1 points per game.
Against the spread, Rice went 12-20, including a 7-7 record on the road. They were 6-6 ATS when favored and 6-14 as the underdog. Their games averaged 147.7 points, and they had an O/U record of 15-16-1, with an average line of 148.9 points.
Owls Offense Breakdown
Rice averaged 72 points per game last season, ranking 143rd in possessions per game at 65.8. The Owls were 255th in field goal percentage, shooting 44%, and their effective field goal percentage was 51%, placing them 239th. They made 7.8 three-pointers per game, ranking 143rd, and attempted 23.2 per game, ranking 122nd. Their three-point percentage was 33%, ranking 227th. Rice also averaged 12.1 made free throws per game, ranking 295th.
Guard Trae Broadnax returns after averaging 14.2 points, 3.5 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in 30 games last season. Kellen Amos, a guard-forward, played in 31 games and averaged 11.8 points, 2.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game.
Owls Team Defense
Rice struggled defensively last season, allowing 75.7 points per game, which ranked 263rd in the nation. Opponents shot 37.7% from three-point range against them, placing the Owls 455th in the country in that category.
Rice did a better job of defending without fouling, allowing 16.2 free throws per game, which ranked 78th nationally. They averaged 5.6 steals per game, ranking 304th, and 3.7 blocked shots per game, which was 134th in the nation.
Golden Panthers vs Owls Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis
- In their last three games away from home, the Golden Panthers have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 68 points per game in this stretch.
- Across their ten previous home games, Rice has an ATS mark of 5-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-6 while averaging 74 points per game.
- Looking back on the team's last five games as the underdog, the Golden Panthers have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-2.
- Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Rice has an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 6-4 straight up.
FIU vs Rice Prediction & Free Pick
- KnupSports.com Free Betting Prediction: Rice -5.5 Be sure to check out our other NCAA Basketball betting previews for this week. KnupSports.com also updates their sports betting picks page daily with plays across all sports.