Rice Owls vs South Florida Bulls Betting Pick & Prediction 1/12/24

Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Owls and Bulls. The game is starting at 7:00 ET on ESPNU, and it’s hosted by the Bulls at Yuengling Center in Tampa, FL. Get ready to place your bets! The odds for this American Athletic conference game currently have the Bulls as the betting favorite with the over/under line sitting at 146 points.

RICE OWLS VS SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS BETTING PICK

The Pick: South Florida Bulls -5.5

This game will be played at Yuengling Center at 7:00 ET on Friday, January 12th.

WHY BET THE SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-66 in favor of the Bulls.
• Not only will South Florida pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -5.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 146 points, and we like the under with a projected 143 points.

Will the Owls Make it Happen on the Road?

After losing three straight games, Rice will look to get back on track against South Florida. So far, the Owls have gone 6-9 overall, including a 0-2 record in American Athletic Conference play. On the road, Rice has gone just 1-4, and their average scoring margin is -13.4 points per game.

As the underdog, Rice has gone 0-6 this season. In their last game, the Owls fell to UTSA by a score of 89-82. Over their last ten games on the road, Rice has gone just 2-8.

As the underdog, Rice has struggled against the spread this season, going just 1-5 vs. the spread. Their overall ATS mark is 6-9, and their road ATS record is 2-3. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Owls are just 3-7 vs. the spread.

Today’s over/under line of 146 is lower than the average over/under line in Rice games this season (154.1). So far, the over/under record in Rice games is 6-8-1. Over their last five games, the average scoring total is 145 points.

The Rice offense is coming off a game in which they scored 82 points vs. UTSA. Overall their field goal percentage was 44.1% while connecting on 8 threes. Travis Evee is the current leading scorer for the team, with an average of 16.9 as they approach today’s matchup. In addition, Mekhi Mason brings a PPG average of 12.9 into the game.

Coming into today’s game, the Rice defense is giving up an average of 75.5 points per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 8.0 threes per game vs. South Florida. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 36.3%.

Is a Home Win Possible for the Bulls?

South Florida has been a different team at home compared to on the road this season. They come into this game with an 8-2 record at home, compared to 0-3 on the road. Their average scoring margin at home is +11.1, compared to -11.0 on the road. They have also won their last six games at home.

Overall, the Bulls are 8-5 this season, including a 1-1 record in American Athletic Conference play. They are 7-2 when favored this season, and they have been favored in nine of their 13 games.

South Florida has been solid against the spread this season, going 7-5-1. At home, their ATS mark is 7-3. Over their last three games at home, they are 2-1 vs. the spread. As the favorite, the Bulls have gone 6-3 vs. the spread this year and are 4-1 ATS in their last five games as the favorite.

South Florida’s over/under record for the season sits at 3-10, and today’s line of 146 is lower than the average OU line in their games this year (148.1). So far, 8 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 144 points, and their over/under record during this stretch is 0-3.

In contrast to their season average of 76.1 points per game, the South Florida had a below average performance. They scored 71 points against UAB and had a field goal percentage of 44.8%. The South Florida offense has been looking to get up shots from outside so far this season, averaging 23.5 three-point attempts per contest. Overall, they have connected on 33% of their looks from outside this season.

Currently, the Bulls’ defense holds the 130th rank in the nation, allowing 70.1 points per game. In today’s game, the South Florida defense will be looking to once again do a good job defending the three-point line, as they gave up just 5 three-pointers while giving up 75 points.