The weekly mid-major betting report is all about helping the average bettor realize that specialization can be profitable. The Rice Owls were picked at random as a team I’ll be following on a weekly basis from the beginning of the year right through their final contest of the season. I’ll be getting my hands on every bit of information I can about this team. By using this valuable information from a variety of sources, I’ll be able to have some extra information when making a weekly selection on the Rice Owls game each week. We will be using Doc’s Sports Unit Betting System for every pick, so you’ll be able to follow along and see how this mid-major betting report is doing on a weekly basis.

Last Week’s Game

Rice dropped a 34-9 contest against the Texas Longhorns last weekend. The pick featured here in the mid-major report was Texas -24 for 3-Units, so that one was a winner. Rice genuinely felt they had a chance to win last week, but it just wasn’t in the cards. What were the positive and negative takeaways for the Rice Owls from last week’s contest?

The play of the special teams’ units was a big bright spot for Rice overall last week. Kyle Martens averaged 48.6 yards per punt, which allowed Rice to pin Texas deep several times. Chris Boswell made all three field goals he attempted, including two from more than 40 yards. The kick coverage teams didn’t allow D.J. Monroe or Jaxon Shipley to go anywhere when they caught the football.

What went wrong for Rice last week in Austin? Taylor McHargue threw for just 79 yards on 29 passing attempts. It was only McHargue’s fifth career start, but the lack of a downfield passing game really limited Rice last weekend. Sam McGuffie and Jeremy Eddington were expected to be a powerful tailback tandem for the Owls, but they combined for three rushing attempts and one yard on the ground. The defense seemed to be holding Texas in check early on, but the Longhorns finished with 506 yards of total offense.

Notes of Interest

-Chuck Pool from the Rice Owls official website mentioned on Twitter this week that Rice is preparing for this week’s game against Purdue as if Caleb TerBush will be getting the majority of the snaps at quarterback for the Boilers.

-Joseph Duarte, the beat writer for The Houston Chronicle, reports that Coach Bailiff limited McGuffie’s action last week because he didn’t want to risk him being out for the season. Bailiff also mentioned in this week’s press conference that he expects McGuffie to be cleared medically this week.

-Rice actually had the football on the Texas eight-yard line with a first-and-goal situation trailing just 13-6 late in the third quarter. They settled for a field goal on that drive and never made it back into scoring position the rest of the game.

Betting Trends

-Rice is 7-19 ATS in their last 26 nonconference games.

-The ‘over’ is 25-5 in the Owls last 30 games after being held to less than 20 points in their previous game.

-The Boilermakers are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against a team with a losing record.

Purdue vs. Rice College Football Odds

Rice actually opened as a small two-point favorite in this one, but the line has steadily moved toward Purdue. 5Dimes currently lists the visiting Boilermakers at -1. The posted total for this game is set at 50.5 points.

Purdue vs. Rice College Football Picks

The Boilermakers aren’t your typical Big Ten team that will come in with a ton of talent and overwhelm the Owls. Purdue has a very good running game with Ralph Bolden, and I expect them to be able to run the football effectively. On the other hand, Purdue’s defense gave up 24 points to an average Middle Tennessee State offense last week. Purdue’s defensive front isn’t nearly as strong as the Texas front. The Owls should be able to move the ball on the ground in this one, and McHargue should have more time to throw the football as well. These teams aren’t very strong defensively, and I think there will be quite a few points scored in this game. The pick here is ‘over’ 50.5 points. Keep an eye out for next week’s report which will feature a pick on the Owls matchup with the Baylor Bears.

The Pick is 2-Units on Purdue/Rice ‘Over’ 50.5 (-110)

Rice Weekly Picks Season Total: 1 Win and 0 Losses (+$300)