Rice Owls vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane Matchup

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

Rice vs Tulsa Prediction

Planning on watching today's Owls and Golden Hurricane game? Catch the action at Reynolds Center in Tulsa, OK, as the Golden Hurricane hosts this showdown at 3:00 ET on ESPN+. This American Athletic conference matchup has an over/under of 141.5 points, and Tulsa is favored to win by -2.5 at home vs. Rice.

Rice vs. Tulsa Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Rice Owls at Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Where: Tulsa at Reynolds Center
Date: Wednesday, January 1st
Betting Odds TULSA -2.5, RICE +115 | TULSA -142 O/U 141.5

Owls Preview: Can Rice Stun the Crowd at Reynolds Center?

Rice improved to 9-3 on the season with a 64-46 win over Prairie View A&M on Sunday. The Owls were -14 favorites going into the game and covered the spread with the victory.

After trailing 27-23 at halftime, Rice turned things around in the 2nd half, scoring 41 points while holding the Panthers to just 19. The combined points of 110 fell well short of the 155.5 O/U line.

Owls Offense Breakdown

Rice's offense struggled from beyond the arc in their last game, hitting just 4 of 16 three-point attempts for a 25% shooting percentage. Their overall field goal percentage was 44.1%, with an effective field goal percentage of 47.5%. At the free-throw line, the Owls shot just 42.1%, making only 8 of 19 attempts.

Nick Anderson led Rice with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Andrew Akuchie added 14 points on 6 of 9 shooting. Trae Broadnax also recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, along with 8 assists. Rice grabbed 21 offensive rebounds as a team, finishing with 12 assists overall.

Owls Team Defense

Despite giving up 46 points, the Rice Owls allowed their opponent to shoot 44% from the field, with 26 made baskets on 59 attempts. Inside the arc, the Owls' defense saw their opponent hit 51% of their two-point shots, going 22/43.

Rice did a better job defending the three-point line, where their opponent shot just 25%, making 4 of 16 attempts. At the free-throw line, the Owls sent their opponent to the stripe 19 times, where they converted 8 attempts for 42%.

Golden Hurricane Preview: Can Tulsa Pull Out the Win as Home Favorites?

Tulsa Golden Hurricane Recent Game/Games

The Golden Hurricane improved to 4-7 on the season with a dominant 93-48 win over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, December 21st. Playing at home, Tulsa entered the game as heavy favorites, favored by 29 points, and they covered the spread with ease. The total points for the game reached 141, surpassing the over/under line of 136.5.

Tulsa took control early, leading 39-16 at halftime, and continued their strong play in the second half, scoring 54 points while allowing 32. The win gives the Golden Hurricane some momentum as they look to build on this performance moving forward.

Golden Hurricane Offense Breakdown

Tulsa's offense was firing on all cylinders in their latest game, putting up 93 points while shooting 51.6% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 61.3%, thanks in part to their 72.4% shooting on two-point attempts.

From beyond the arc, they hit 11 of 33 threes, shooting 33.3%. Matt Reed was a standout, hitting 4 of 5 threes and finishing with 15 points and 9 rebounds in just 16 minutes. The team also grabbed 14 offensive boards and dished out 18 assists.

Golden Hurricane Team Defense

Despite Tulsa's defensive struggles, allowing 48 points on 51% shooting, they managed to hold their opponent to just 11 threes on 33 attempts, a 33% clip.

From the free-throw line, Tulsa's opponent shot 72%, making 18 of 25 attempts. Tulsa also gave up 14 offensive rebounds in the game.

Owls vs Golden Hurricane Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three games away from home, the Owls have a straight up record of 2-1 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team averaged 67 points per game in this stretch.
Through their last ten home games, Tulsa has an ATS record of just 2-8. However, their overall record was 2-8 while averaging 70 points per game.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Owls have gone 3-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-3.
Going back to their last three games as the favorite, the Golden Hurricane have a straight up record of 1-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-2.