Charlotte 49ers vs Rice Owls Matchup

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

Charlotte vs Rice Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the 49ers and Owls. The game is starting at 2:00 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 140.5 points, and Rice is favored by -3.5 to win at home against Charlotte.

Charlotte vs. Rice Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Charlotte 49ers at Rice Owls
Where: Houston at Tudor Fieldhouse
Date: Saturday, January 4th
Betting Odds RICE -3.5, CHARLT +162 | RICE -198 O/U 140.5

49ers Preview: Is an Upset Waiting to Happen on the Road?

Charlotte 49ers Recent Game/Games

Charlotte fell to 6-7 on the season after an 83-68 home loss to Tulane on Tuesday. The 49ers were -3 favorites heading into the game but failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 151, surpassing the O/U line of 145.5.

Charlotte trailed 34-27 at halftime and allowed 49 points in the 2nd half while scoring 41 of their own. The 49ers will need to tighten up defensively as they look to get back on track.

49ers Offense Breakdown

In their last game, the 49ers put up 68 points, shooting 40% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 45.5%. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 26.1% on 6-of-23 shooting, but connected on 50% of their two-point attempts.

Kaleb Banks led the way with 21 points, shooting 63.6% overall and 42.9% from three. Rowan Brumbaugh added 19 points, while Asher Woods contributed 16. Kam Williams chipped in 13 points and 8 rebounds, hitting 3-of-7 from deep.

49ers Team Defense

Charlotte's defense gave up 83 points, with their opponent shooting 40% from the field (22/55). Inside the arc, they allowed 16/32 shooting (50%).

From three-point range, Charlotte held their opponent to 6/23 shooting (26%). However, they sent them to the free-throw line 22 times, where they converted 18 (81%). Charlotte also allowed 7 offensive rebounds.

Owls Preview: Is a Home Win Possible for Rice?

Rice Owls Recent Game/Games

Rice improved to 10-3 this season with a 70-64 win over Tulsa on Wednesday. The Owls, who were +2.5 point underdogs, not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.

After trailing 36-32 at halftime, Rice tightened up defensively, allowing just 28 points in the second half while scoring 38. The game’s total points of 134 fell short of the 140.5 O/U line.

Owls Offense Breakdown

Rice shot 47.5% from the field in their last game, with an effective field goal percentage of 52.5%. They hit 56.4% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 30% (6/20). At the free-throw line, the Owls connected on only 50% of their attempts (10/20).

Offensively, Rice grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and dished out 10 assists. Dwon Odom led the way with 18 points and 3 assists, while Tyshawn Archie added 16 points, despite shooting 22.2% from three (2/9). Denver Anglin contributed 12 points, hitting 66.7% of his threes (2/3).

Owls Team Defense

Despite sending the opposing team to the free-throw line 17 times, Rice's defense held them to just 64 points on 35% shooting. The Owls limited their opponent's three-point success, allowing only 7 threes on 28 attempts (25%).

Rice's defense also gave up 11 offensive rebounds but managed to contain the damage, with the opposing team shooting 45% from two-point range, making 14 of 31 attempts.

49ers vs Owls Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Charlotte has a 1-2 record in their last three road games. In this stretch, they averaged 69 points per game while allowing 72. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
In their last three home games, Rice has averaged 70 points per game while allowing 68. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
In their last five games as the betting underdog, the 49ers have a straight up record of 2-3 and an ATS mark of 4-1.
Against the spread, the Owls have put together 1-2 in their last three games as the betting favorite. In these same games, they went 3-0 straight up.