North Texas Mean Green vs Rice Owls Matchup

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

Rice vs North Texas Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Owls versus the Mean Green? Tip off is at at 9:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPNU. The game will be played at UNT Coliseum in Denton, TX. The over/under for this American Athletic conference contest is set at 125.5 points, with North Texas being favored by -11.5 at home against Rice.

Rice vs. North Texas Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Rice Owls at North Texas Mean Green
Where: Denton at UNT Coliseum
Date: Wednesday, January 8th
Betting Odds NTX -11.5, RICE +537 | NTX -788 O/U 125.5

Owls Preview: Will the Owls Secure A Victory as Road Underdogs?

Rice improved to 11-3 on the season with a 68-55 home win over Charlotte on Saturday. The Owls, who were favored by 3.5 points, covered the spread with the victory.

Leading 31-25 at halftime, Rice added 37 points in the second half while holding Charlotte to 30. The game’s total points of 123 fell short of the 140.5 O/U line.

Owls Offense Breakdown

Rice put up 68 points in their last game, shooting 45.3% from the field and 31.6% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 50.9%, and they hit 87.5% of their free throws, going 14-for-16 at the line.

Nik Graves led the way with 23 points and 11 rebounds, hitting 4-of-8 from three and shooting 58.3% overall. The Owls grabbed 13 offensive boards and finished with 10 assists as a team.

Owls Team Defense

Even though Rice gave up 55 points, they allowed their opponent to shoot 45% from the field, with 18 of 34 made from two-point range at a 52% clip.

From beyond the arc, Rice's defense held the other team to 6 three-pointers on 19 attempts, a 31% shooting rate. They also sent them to the line 16 times, where they converted 14 free throws at an 87% rate. Rice allowed 13 offensive rebounds.

Mean Green Preview: Can the Mean Green Offense Score Enough at Home?

North Texas Mean Green Recent Game/Games

North Texas fell to 8-4 on the season after a 68-64 road loss to Memphis on Sunday. The Mean Green, who entered the game as +7.5 underdogs, kept it closer than expected and covered the spread.

Trailing 33-32 at halftime, North Texas scored 32 points in the 2nd half but allowed 35. The game’s total points of 132 fell short of the 136.5 O/U line.

Mean Green Offense Breakdown

North Texas put up 64 points in their last game, shooting 43.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 47.1%. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 4 of 18 threes for 22.2%, but connected on 54.5% of their two-point attempts (18/33) and 76.2% from the free-throw line (16/21).

PJ Haggerty led the way with 27 points, shooting 11 of 14 overall and 3 of 3 from deep. Moulaye Sissoko also had a strong performance, going 7 of 8 from the field for 17 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. The Mean Green grabbed 12 offensive boards and dished out 11 assists in the win.

Mean Green Team Defense

North Texas struggled defensively, allowing 68 points on 54% shooting from the field. Opponents found success inside, hitting 61% of their two-point attempts (19/31).

From beyond the arc, North Texas gave up 5 threes on 13 attempts, a 38% clip. They also sent the other team to the line 21 times, where they converted 15 free throws (71%).

Owls vs Mean Green Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last five road contests, Rice has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 4-1, while averaging 71 points per game.
Across their ten previous home games, North Texas has an ATS mark of 6-4. Their straight up record in these matchups was 5-5 while averaging 68 points per game.
Rice has done well both straight up and vs the spread as the underdog, going 3-2 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five games.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Mean Green have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 9-1.