Rice Owls vs Tulane Green Wave Matchup

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

Tulane vs Rice Prediction

Planning on watching today's Green Wave and Owls game? Catch the action at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston, TX, as the Owls hosts this showdown at 2:30 ET on ESPNU. The over/under for this game is set at 141.5 points, and Rice is favored by -1.5 vs. Tulane in a American Athletic conference matchup.

Tulane vs. Rice Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Tulane Green Wave at Rice Owls
Where: Houston at Tudor Fieldhouse
Date: Saturday, January 25th
Betting Odds RICE -1.5, TULANE -110 | RICE -110 O/U 141.5

Green Wave Preview: Are Tulane Ready for a Road Win?

Tulane Green Wave Recent Game/Games

Tulane fell to 8-9 on the season after a narrow 80-77 loss to Temple on Sunday. The Green Wave, who were +4 point underdogs, covered the spread in the loss.

Trailing 34-33 at halftime, Tulane scored 44 points in the 2nd half but allowed 46. The game’s total points of 157 went over the pre-game O/U line of 148.5.

Green Wave Offense Breakdown

Tulane's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 77 points with a field goal percentage of 52.7%. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 63.6%, thanks in large part to their 60% shooting from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 20 threes.

Jamal Mashburn Jr. led the way with 32 points on 75% shooting, including 3 of 5 from deep. Rowan Brumbaugh added 20 points, hitting 4 of 7 threes and dishing out 7 assists. Kam Williams was perfect from the field, going 5 for 5 and 3 for 3 from three-point range.

Green Wave Team Defense

Despite Tulane's defensive struggles, they gave up 80 points on 56% shooting, including 64% from two-point range, as the opposing team hit 30 of their 53 shots.

From beyond the arc, Tulane allowed 6 threes on 16 attempts (37%) and sent the other team to the line 18 times, where they converted 14 free throws (77%).

Owls Preview: Will the Owls Win at Tudor Fieldhouse?

Rice Owls Recent Game/Games

Rice fell to 11-7 on the season after a narrow 75-73 loss to Florida Atlantic on Sunday. Despite being +10.5 point underdogs, the Owls kept it close and covered the spread.

Rice led 43-38 at halftime but managed only 30 points in the 2nd half while allowing 37. The game’s total points of 148 fell just under the O/U line of 149.5.

Owls Offense Breakdown

Rice's offense put up 73 points in their last game, shooting 43.9% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 56.1%, thanks to hitting 52% from three-point range, making 13 of 25 attempts. Inside the arc, they struggled, shooting just 37.5% on two-point shots.

Jacob Dar led the way with 19 points, hitting 5 of 7 threes, while Tre Carroll added 17 points and 9 rebounds. Aaron Powell contributed 15 points in just 10 minutes, going 3 for 4 from deep. The Owls also grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and dished out 14 assists.

Owls Team Defense

Rice's defense gave up 75 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 44% from the field. They allowed 28 made field goals on 63 attempts.

Inside the arc, Rice's opponents shot 52%, hitting 22 of 42 two-point attempts. From three-point range, they were 6 for 21, shooting 28%. The Owls also sent them to the line 18 times, where they made 13 free throws, a 72% clip. Rice allowed 14 offensive rebounds in the game.

Green Wave vs Owls Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past three road matchups, Tulane has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 76 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
Across their last five home contests, Rice has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 2-3, while averaging 68 points per game.
Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Tulane has an ATS mark of 2-1 while going 1-2 straight up.
Going back to their last three games as the favorite, the Owls have a straight up record of 1-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-2.