The Baylor Bears are the clear-cut NCAA football betting favorites when they visit the Rice Owls at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas on Friday, September 16th. These are the college football betting odds for the game:
Baylor -30 (-110) -10000
Rice +30 (-110) +4000
The Bears are 2-0 and moved up to the 21st spot on the Associated Press poll after defeating the SMU Mustangs 40-13 on September 10th. The Mustangs starting QB Seth Russell and Baylor’s offense figured out how to pick SMU’s lock in the second half. The Bears played more like cubs in the first half, but at the end of the day they managed to win their 10th consecutive September game and 13th straight versus SMU. The Bears started the second half with a 10-play, 79-yard drive and a 31-yard touchdown pass from Russell to Blake Lynch. Later on, Russell himself scored on a 19-yard run. And whenever the offense dropped the ball, the defense came to the rescue. For example, safety Davion Hall intercepted a pass by Mustangs QB Ben Hicks and returned it to SMU’s 38. Baylor made it academic when Russell KD Cannon with a 32-yarder, followed by a four-yard TD run by redshirt freshman JaMycal Hasty.
The Rice Owls are 0-2 after a 14-31 a predicted loss to the Army Black Knights on September 10th. Army running back Andy Davidson rushed for 107 yards and three touchdowns and the s*** was on. Literally. A mule took a dump in one of the end zones. Additionally, the Black Knights defense created two more turnovers as Rice continues this season’s offensive woes. The Owls started off on the right foot when QB Tyler Stehling connected with tight end Connor Cella for a 64-yard TD on Rice’s third play from scrimmage. However, the Owls put up only 98 yards on 23 plays in the first half. Rice attempted to rally when a 26-yard punt by Army’s Nick Schrage gave the Owls the ball at the Army 37, and Austin Walter burst up the middle for a touchdown on the next play halfway through the third quarter. Alas, it was too little too late.
If the Rice Owls want to defy NCAA football betting odds against the Bears, they are going to have to find a little consistency in offense. QB Stehling is a senior but starting for the first time in his career. Besides two TD passes and a 41-yard punt to the Army 1 early in the third quarter, Stehling didn’t drive inside the Army 20. Moreover, Stehling has thrown five interceptions on his last 116 pass attempts. Perhaps the Owls’ only edge heading into this game is that it will be their first of the season at home. But other than the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse not emptying its bowels in the end zone, the result should not be much different than with Army. In fact and as NCAA football betting fans know, Baylor has superior firepower than Army or WKU for that matter.
