Rice Owls vs Texas State Bobcats Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Rice vs Texas State NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in San Marcos.

Rice vs Texas State Prediction

Looking to win big? The Owls and Bobcats face off at 3:00 ET on ESPN+. The Bobcats are hosting the game at Strahan Arena at the University Events Center in San Marcos, TX. This non-conference matchup has an over/under of 134.5 points, and Texas State is favored by -5 vs. Rice.

Rice vs. Texas State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Rice Owls at Texas State Bobcats
Where: San Marcos at Strahan Arena at the University Events Center
Date: Sunday, December 8th
Betting Odds TXST -5, RICE +182 | TXST -225 O/U 134.5

Owls Preview: Does Rice Stand a Chance on the Road?

Rice improved to 7-2 on the season with a 70-66 win over Iona on Sunday. The Owls, who were favored by 4.5 points, didn’t cover the spread, but they did get the win at home.

Rice and Iona were tied at 35 at halftime, but the Owls outscored the Gaels 35-31 in the second half to secure the win. The total points for the game ended up at 136, just over the pre-game O/U line of 134.

Owls Offense Breakdown

Rice's offense put up 70 points in their last game, shooting 45.7% from the field. Their two-point shooting was impressive at 66.7% (18/27), but they struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 3 of 19 attempts for a 15.8% rate. At the free-throw line, they connected on 25 of 29 attempts, good for 86.2%.

Adam Njie Jr. and James Patterson each scored 19 points, with Njie hitting 3 of 4 from deep. Caden Powell was efficient inside, going 6 for 8 from the field. Rice finished with just 6 assists and grabbed 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Owls Team Defense

Rice's defense gave up 66 points, with their opponents shooting 45% from the field on 21 of 46 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 18 two-point baskets on 27 tries, a 66% success rate for the other team.

From three-point range, Rice held their opponents to just 3 made threes on 19 attempts, a 15% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 29 times, where they converted 25 free throws, shooting 86%. Rice gave up 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Bobcats Preview: Will the Bobcats Find a Way to Win at Home?

Texas State improved to 4-3 on the season with a 72-59 road win over Texas Southern on Sunday. The Bobcats, who entered the game as -4.5 favorites, covered the spread with the victory.

After a 28-28 tie at halftime, Texas State outscored the Tigers 44-31 in the second half. The game’s total points of 131 fell under the 139-point O/U line.

Bobcats Offense Breakdown

Texas State put up 72 points in their last game, shooting 48.3% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 53.3%. They connected on 52.2% of their two-point attempts and hit 35.7% from beyond the arc, going 5-for-14 from three-point range. At the free-throw line, they were 9-for-11, shooting 81.8%.

The Bobcats grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and dished out 18 assists. Christian Turner led the way with 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Tyrel Morgan added 13 points and 9 rebounds, also contributing 7 assists. Kaden Gumbs and Kavion McClain each scored 12 points, with Gumbs hitting his only three-point attempt and adding 7 assists.

Bobcats Team Defense

Texas State's defense was on point, holding their opponent to 59 points on just 33% shooting from the field. They limited two-point opportunities effectively, with the other team making only 14 of 35 attempts for 40%.

From beyond the arc, Texas State's defense was even more impressive, allowing just 5 threes on 22 attempts, a 22% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the line 23 times, where they converted 16 free throws for 69%.

Owls vs Bobcats Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past five road matchups, Rice has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 72 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
In their last five home games, Texas State has averaged 70 points per game while allowing 72. The team's record in this stretch was 2-3 while going 4-1.
In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Owls have a strong straight up record of 2-1. In addition, their ATS record was 2-1 in these scenarios.
The Bobcats have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 5-0 straight up and 5-0 against the spread.