Rice Owls vs UConn Huskies Matchup

Check out our free Rice Owls vs UConn Huskies pick and preview for this CFB week 9 game in East Hartford. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 9 CFB matchup.

UConn comes into this week nine non-conference matchup with a 4-3 record, and they are the -6.5 point favorites over the Rice Owls. Kick-off is set for 3:30 ET at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford. The over/under line is currently 46.5 points. If you are looking to watch this one on TV, it will be on CBSS. The money line odds have UConn at -235 and Rice at +194.

Owls vs. Huskies Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Rice Owls at UConn Huskies
Where: East Hartford at Pratt & Whitney Stadium
Date: Saturday, October 26th
Betting Odds UCONN -6.5, RICE +194 | UCONN -235 O/U 46.5

Owls Preview:

Rice enters Week 9 against UConn with a 2-5 record, ranked 107th in our power rankings. They have just a 5.3% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. On the road, the Owls are 0-3, while they’ve gone 1-2 at home this season.

Rice’s average scoring margin this season is -2.9 points per game, and they are 2-4 against the spread. They’ve been favored in two games, going 0-2 ATS as the favorite, but they are 2-2 ATS as the underdog.

The Owls’ over/under record is 2-4, with their games averaging 49.4 points. Their average over/under line is 48.3 points, and this week’s line is set at 46.5 points.

Owls Offense Breakdown

Rice’s offense has leaned heavily on their passing game, ranking 11th in passing attempts per game. They are 13th in completions, averaging 23.7 per game, and 60th in passing yards, with 234.7 yards per game. E.J. Warner has thrown for 1,573 yards, completing 60.7% of his passes, and has 10 touchdowns but also 9 interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 76.

Overall, Rice is 74th in scoring, averaging 23.3 points per game, and they are ranked 112th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 9. On the ground, they average 116.9 rushing yards per game. Dean Connors leads the rushing attack with 472 yards, 6 touchdowns, and an average of 6 yards per carry. Matt Sykes is the leading receiver with 465 yards and 3 touchdowns on 38 catches.

Owls Team Defense

Rice's defense has allowed 26.1 points per game this season, including 24 points in their recent 24-10 loss to Tulane. They gave up 307 total yards, with 155 rushing yards on 39 attempts and 152 passing yards.

Opponents have averaged 158.3 rushing yards per game against Rice, while the defense has allowed 169.3 passing yards per game, ranking 22nd nationally. Quarterbacks have completed 57.3% of their passes against Rice, posting a passer rating of 91.8.

Huskies Preview:

The Owls’ over/under record is 2-4, with their games averaging 49.4 points. Their average over/under line is 48.3 points, and this week’s line is set at 46.5 points.

Huskies Offense Breakdown

UConn’s offense is averaging 33.6 points per game heading into week 9, placing them 28th in the nation. They are also 26th in rushing, with 199.9 yards per game on the ground, and they rank 15th in rushing attempts per game. Durell Robinson leads the team with 433 rushing yards, averaging 7 yards per carry, and has scored four touchdowns.

Quarterback Joe Fagnano has thrown for 999 yards, with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. He has a passer rating of 117. UConn is 41st in passing attempts per game, averaging 234.3 yards through the air. Skyler Bell has 534 receiving yards and four touchdowns this season.

Huskies Team Defense

UConn's defense has been a bright spot this season, ranking 38th nationally by allowing just 21.9 points per game. In their recent matchup against Wake Forest, they gave up 23 points but managed to hold the Demon Deacons to 123 rushing yards on 40 attempts and forced an interception.

Opposing quarterbacks have a 76.2 passer rating against UConn, averaging 203.3 passing yards per game. The defense has allowed 149.6 rushing yards per game on 35.3 attempts this season.

Owls vs Huskies Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three games away from home, the Rice Owls have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 10 points per game in this stretch.
Through their last five home games, UConn has an ATS record of just 2-3. However, their overall record was 1-4 while averaging 13 points per game.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Rice Owls have gone 2-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-4.
The UConn Huskies have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 5-0 straight up and 4-1 against the spread.