Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Rice Owls vs Texas State Bobcats Betting Pick & Prediction for 1/2

The Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl will feature the Rice Owls taking on the Texas State Bobcats. This postseason game is set to take place at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TX. The game will kick off on Friday, January 2, 2026, at 1:00 PM and will be broadcast on ESPN.

Rice enters the game with a regular season record of 5-7. They had a conference record of 2-6 in the American Conference. Meanwhile, Texas State finished the regular season with a 6-6 record. Their conference record in the Sun Belt was 3-5. Texas State last appeared in the postseason at the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, where they won against North Texas, 30-28.

Rice Team Preview

The Rice Owls have had a tough run in recent games. They faced a significant defeat against South Florida Bulls with a score of 52-3. Despite gaining 153 rushing yards, their passing game only managed 104 yards.

In an earlier game, the Owls fell to North Texas Mean Green, 56-24. The Owls showed strength in rushing with 296 yards, but passing struggled with just 101 yards. They matched North Texas in first downs, each securing 24.

On a brighter note, the Owls managed a win against UAB Blazers, 24-17. In that game, they had 191 rushing yards and 41 passing yards. The team had an equal number of first downs with UAB, each tallying 18.

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs Texas State Game Day Info

• Sport: NCAA Football
• Teams: Rice Owls vs. Texas State Bobcats
• Venue: Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TX
• Date: Friday, January 2, 2026
• Betting Odds: Rice Moneyline +300, Texas State Moneyline -385

Texas State Team Preview

Texas State Bobcats have been strong at home, winning their last two games. They beat South Alabama Jaguars 49-26 and Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 31-14. In the game against South Alabama, the Bobcats had 280 passing yards and 265 rushing yards.

Brad Jackson leads the team as quarterback with 3,049 passing yards this season. He ranks first on the team and 22nd in the league. Lincoln Pare is the top running back with 1,023 rushing yards, ranking first on the team.

The team’s offense is 18th in points for, with 433 points this season. They are 12th in rushing yards with 2,662 yards. On defense, they have allowed 367 points, ranking 139th, and have 22 sacks, ranking 20th in the league.

BTB Betting Pick

For the spread pick, Texas State is favored by 10 points. The Bobcats have scored 433 points this season, ranking 18th. Rice has allowed 387 points, ranking 146th. Texas State should cover the -10 spread given their strong offensive performance.

The total for this game is set at 59.5. Texas State and Rice have both shown they can score, with Texas State’s offense ranking 18th and Rice’s defense ranking 146th in points allowed. The projected score is Texas State 41, Rice 21, making the over 59.5 a reasonable pick.