Rice Owls vs Navy Midshipmen Picks and Predictions November 2nd 2024

Rice Owls vs Navy Midshipmen November 2nd 2024

ESPN2 will be covering the week 10 matchup between the Navy Midshipmen and the Rice Owls, set to kick off at 4:00 ET from Rice Stadium in Houston. Navy comes in with a 6-1 record, while Rice is 2-6 on the season. The over/under line is currently 51.5 points, and Navy is the heavy favorite at -12.5 points.

Navy vs. Rice Key Information

Navy heads into Week 10 with a 6-1 record, and they are 100% likely to be bowl-eligible. They have a +16.3 average scoring margin this season and are ranked 68th in our power rankings. So far, they are 2-0 on the road and 3-1 at home.

Against the spread, Navy is 5-1, and they’ve gone 4-0 as the favorite. Their over/under record is 6-0, with their games averaging 64.6 points. This week’s line is 51.5, compared to their average line of 48.5 points.

Navy is undefeated as the favorite, going 4-0, and they are 1-1 as the underdog. At home, they are 2-0 as the favorite and 1-1 as the underdog.

Navy’s offense has been impressive this season, ranking 6th in our offensive power rankings and 9th in scoring, with 40.4 points per game. Their ground game is their strength, averaging 268.3 rushing yards per game on 44.9 attempts.

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Blake Horvath leads the passing attack with 976 yards and a passer rating of 131. He has thrown 10 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions, completing 62.4% of his passes. Eli Heidenreich is the team’s top rusher with 230 yards, averaging 7 yards per carry.

Navy’s defense will look to rebound after giving up 51 points in their last game against Notre Dame. They allowed 466 total yards, including 265 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, while also surrendering 201 yards through the air.

On the season, Navy’s defense ranks 37th nationally, allowing 24.1 points per game. Opponents have averaged 180.7 rushing yards per game against them, ranking Navy 129th in the country. Through the air, Navy has given up 221.3 passing yards per game, with quarterbacks completing 56% of their passes, the 27th-lowest completion rate in the nation.

Rice enters Week 10 with a 2-6 record, hosting Navy. They rank 105th in our power rankings and have just a 2.5% chance of reaching bowl eligibility. At home, the Owls are 1-2 this season.

Rice is 2-5 against the spread, with an average scoring margin of -3.4 points per game. They are 0-2 ATS as the favorite and 2-3 as the underdog.

The over/under line for this week is 51.5 points. Rice’s games have averaged 46.6 points, with an average line of 48.1 points. Their over/under record is 2-5 this season.

Heading into week 10, Rice’s offense is averaging 21.6 points per game, ranking 81st nationally. Our power rankings place them 120th. They are 109th in third down conversion rate, converting just 32.4% of their attempts. Their rushing game is also struggling, with 113.5 yards per game on the ground.

Quarterback E.J. Warner has thrown for 1,573 yards, leading Rice’s passing attack. He has 10 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, with a passer rating of 76. Rice ranks 15th in passing attempts per game. Matt Sykes has 489 receiving yards on 41 catches, with three touchdowns.

Rice’s defense has allowed 25 points per game this season, ranking 59th nationally. They’ve given up 161.5 rushing yards per game, placing them 104th, while opposing quarterbacks have averaged just 164.1 passing yards, the 14th-lowest figure in the country.

In their recent game against UConn, Rice’s defense allowed 17 points, giving up 184 rushing yards on 43 attempts but holding UConn to 128 passing yards and forcing one interception.

Our pick for this Navy vs. Rice matchup is to take Navy to cover the -12.5 point spread. We have Navy winning this game 31-17, which is right in line with the current odds. For a straight-up pick, we like Navy, and we are confident in their ability to cover the spread.

With the over/under line sitting at 51.5 points, we see the under as the best play, as our projected combined score is 48 points.