The Rice Owls begin their final nonconference homestand of the season on Thursday when they meet the Incarnate Word Cardinals. The Cardinals (2-8), who have wins in two of their last three games, including a 72-62 win over Grambling on Saturday, finished eighth in the Southland Conference at 5-9 and were 8-14 overall a year ago. The Owls (6-4), who are on a two-game winning streak after beating Houston Baptist 88-73 on Saturday, placed sixth in the Conference-USA West Division at 6-10 and were 15-13 overall in 2020-21. Rice had opened the season 5-1 before hitting a rough stretch last month.
Tipoff from Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston is set for 12:15 p.m. ET. Rice leads the all-time series 2-1, but Incarnate Word won the only meeting in Houston, an 82-76 decision on Dec. 29, 2015. The Owls are 17.5-point favorites in the latest Incarnate Word vs. Rice odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 151. Before locking in any Rice vs. Incarnate word picks, make sure you check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,400 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Rice vs. Incarnate Word and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Incarnate Word vs. Rice:
Incarnate Word vs. Rice spread: Rice -17.5Incarnate Word vs. Rice over-under: 151 pointsIW: The Cardinals are 3-1-1 against the spread in their last five games following an ATS winRICE: The Owls are 8-0-1 ATS in their last nine games against a team with a losing road record
Why Rice can cover
The Owls have five players averaging nine points or better this season, led by senior transfer guard Carl Pierre. After four seasons at UMass, Pierre leads Rice in scoring at 15.3 points per game, connecting on 50.5 percent of his field goals, including 45.1 percent from 3-point range. He is one of eight active players in the nation with at least 300 career 3-pointers. He is also hitting on 83.3 percent of his free throws, and averages 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He is coming off a 21-point performance in the win over Houston Baptist.
Redshirt sophomore Travis Evee is also a deep threat. He has made at least one 3-pointer in 30 consecutive games, the fourth-longest streak in school history. He averages 14.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is connecting on 49 percent of his shots from the floor, including 44.9 percent from 3-point range, as well as shooting 81 percent from the free-throw line.
Why Incarnate Word can cover
The Cardinals have spread the wealth on offense and enter the contest with five players averaging double-digit scoring. Sophomore guard Josh Morgan leads the way, averaging 16.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. The sharp-shooter is hitting on 49.1 percent of his field goals, including 51.7 percent from beyond the arc. He is coming off a 13-point effort in the win over Grambling as four Cardinals scored in double figures. His best game was a 28-point performance against Concordia, Texas, on Nov. 16 in an 82-78 setback when he hit seven of 13 3-pointers.
Senior RJ Glasper is also a force on offense. He is averaging 13.5 points, including 19.5 on the road, 3.2 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game. He is nearly automatic at the line, connecting on 86.4 percent of his foul shots. In the game against Grambling, he poured in 21 points and was 3 of 5 from 3-point range. In the game before, a 98-65 loss at Abilene Christian, he scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
How to make Incarnate Word vs. Rice picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting 149 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Rice vs. Incarnate Word? And which side of the spread hits in well over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,400 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
