Incarnate Word Cardinals vs Rice Owls Betting Pick & Prediction 12/13/23

Looking to win big? The Cardinals and Owls face off at 12:15 ET on ESPN+. The Owls are hosting the game at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston, TX. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 157.5 points, with the Owls being the favored team playing at home against the Cardinals.

INCARNATE WORD CARDINALS VS RICE OWLS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Incarnate Word Cardinals +13.5

This game will be played at Tudor Fieldhouse at 12:15 ET on Wednesday, December 13th.

WHY BET THE INCARNATE WORD CARDINALS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-67 in favor of the Owls.
• Even though we have Rice winning straight-up, we like Incarnate Word at +13.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 157.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 144 points.

Can Incarnate Word Deliver Being Underdogs on the Road?

After playing nine games, Incarnate Word has a record of 3-6. In their last ten road games, including those from last year, they have gone 2-8. As of now, Incarnate Word has a 3-3-1 record against the spread heading into today’s game. In their last five games, they have gone 3-2 vs. the spread.

In nine games, Incarnate Word comes in with an over/under mark of 5-2-0, with their games averaging 156.3 points per game. In the Cardinals’ last five games, the combined scoring average stands at 152 points per game, accompanied by an over/under record of 2-3.

Incarnate Word’s offense is coming off a good game, putting up 82 points vs. Bethune-Cookman. Overall, they hit 41.5% of their shots from the field and went 29/33 from the free-throw line. The top scorer for the Cardinals was Josh Morgan with 21 points, while Josiah Hammons also chipped in with 20 points.

Coming into the game, Incarnate Word will be looking to improve their defense, as they are currently giving up 79.1 points per game (226th). In today’s game vs. Rice, the Incarnate Word defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Incarnate Word made 31 free-throws vs. the Cardinals.

Can The Owls Secure a Home Victory?

Rice is coming into their 10th game of the year with a record of 3-6. In their last ten home games, which includes last year, Rice has gone 5-5. Rice has a sub-.500 ATS record, currently sitting at 3-6. In their last five games, they are 1-4 vs. the spread.

After nine games, Rice has an over/under record of 4-4-1, with their games averaging a combined 151.8 points per game so far. In the Owls’ last five games, the combined scoring average stands at 141 points per game, accompanied by an over/under record of 1-3-1.

Most recently, the Rice offense finished with just 65 points vs. Houston Christian. For the game, they hit 5/25 three-point attempts and a field goal percentage of 39.3%. Leading the team in scoring is Travis Evee, who is averaging 15.4 heading into today’s matchup. Additionally, Mekhi Mason also maintains a PPG average of 12.4 heading into game.

Coming into the game, Rice will be looking to improve their defense, as they are currently giving up 79.5 points per game (228th). In their previous game vs. Houston Christian, the Huskies finished with a field goal percentage of 39% and a total of 56 points vs. Rice.