Rice Owls vs South Florida Bulls Matchup

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

Rice vs South Florida Prediction

The Owls and Bulls are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ESPNU. The Bulls will host the game at Yuengling Center in Tampa, FL. The over/under for this game is set at 139.5 points, and South Florida is favored by -4.5 vs. Rice in a American Athletic conference matchup.

Rice vs. South Florida Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Rice Owls at South Florida Bulls
Where: Tampa at Yuengling Center
Date: Tuesday, January 28th
Betting Odds SFL -4.5, RICE +162 | SFL -199 O/U 139.5

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

Rice Owls Recent Game/Games

Rice fell to 11-8 on the season after an 82-71 home loss to Tulane on Saturday. The Owls were slight favorites at -1 but failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points reached 153, surpassing the over/under line of 140.5.

Rice led 37-36 at halftime but struggled defensively in the second half, allowing 46 points while scoring only 34.

Owls Offense Breakdown

Rice struggled from the field in their last game, shooting just 28.1% overall and 25.6% from three-point range, hitting 10 of 39 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 35.9%, but they managed to score 71 points, thanks in part to 21 offensive rebounds and 25 made free throws on 33 attempts, shooting 75.8% from the line.

Denver Anglin led the way with 27 points, hitting 6 of 9 threes and shooting 58.3% overall. Gregg Glenn III also stood out, making 7 of 9 shots for 17 points, while Caden Powell contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Owls Team Defense

Despite Rice's defensive efforts, they couldn't contain their opponent, giving up 82 points. The Owls held them to just 28% shooting from the field, with 18 made field goals out of 64 attempts.

Rice's defense limited their opponent's two-point shooting to 32% (8/25) and three-point shooting to 25% (10/39). However, they sent them to the free-throw line 33 times, where they converted 25 free throws (75%).

Bulls Preview: Is A Home Victory Likely for the Favored Bulls?

South Florida Bulls Recent Game/Games

South Florida’s season record dropped to 9-10 after a 64-55 road loss to East Carolina on Saturday. The Bulls entered the game as +5.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

Trailing 31-28 at halftime, the Bulls couldn’t close the gap, scoring 27 points in the 2nd half while allowing 33. The game’s total points of 119 fell well under the O/U line of 142.5.

Bulls Offense Breakdown

South Florida struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 55 points with a field goal percentage of 35% (21/60) and an effective field goal percentage of 43.3%. Their two-point shooting was particularly poor, hitting only 28.9% (11/38), but they found success from beyond the arc, connecting on 45.5% (10/22) of their three-point attempts.

Kobe Knox led the way, shooting 85.7% overall and 83.3% from three-point range (5/6), finishing with 17 points. C.J. Walker added 15 points and 8 rebounds, while RJ Felton contributed 12 points and a team-high 14 rebounds, despite shooting just 20% from three-point range (2/10).

Bulls Team Defense

South Florida's defense gave up 64 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 41% from the field. They allowed 45% shooting on two-point attempts, as the other team made 15 of 33 shots.

From beyond the arc, the Bulls gave up 10 threes on 28 attempts, a 35% shooting clip. The opposing team also went 4/10 from the free-throw line. South Florida allowed 17 offensive rebounds.

Owls vs Bulls Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last three road contests, Rice has a 2-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-2, while averaging 67 points per game.
In their last five games at home, the Bulls have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 68 points per game in this stretch.
Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Owls have gone 2-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Bulls have a strong record of 3-2. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 2-3.