Memphis Tigers vs Rice Owls Picks and Predictions November 8th 2024

Memphis Tigers vs Rice Owls November 8th 2024

Memphis is the heavy favorite in this week 11 college football matchup as they host the Rice Owls at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis. Kick-off is set for 9:00 ET, with ESPN2 handling the broadcast. The over/under line is at 52.5 points. The Tigers are 7-2 on the season, while Rice comes in with a 3-6 record. The money line odds have Memphis at -368 and Rice at +276.

Rice vs. Memphis Key Information

Rice enters Week 11 with a 3-6 record and a 97th-place spot in our power rankings. They have just a 7.9% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. On the road, they are 0-4, while they are 2-2 at home this season.

The Owls have been favored in just two games this season, going 0-2 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin is -1.4 points per game, and they are 3-5 against the spread.

Rice’s over/under record is 2-6, with their games averaging 45.2 points. The average over/under line this season has been 48.1 points, compared to this week’s line of 52.5 points.

Rice’s offense has struggled this season, averaging just 21.9 points per game, ranking 83rd nationally. They are 117th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 11. Their third-down conversion rate is low at 34.5%, and their rushing game is producing only 113.1 yards per game.

Quarterback E.J. Warner has thrown for 1,812 yards with a 61.9% completion rate, leading Rice’s passing game. He has 11 touchdowns but also 10 interceptions, with a passer rating of 77. Dean Connors leads the rushing attack with 623 yards and eight touchdowns. Matt Sykes has 582 receiving yards on 49 catches.

Rice’s defense played a key role in their recent 24-10 win over Navy, allowing just 10 points. They gave up 260 total yards, including 140 rushing yards on 40 attempts and 120 passing yards, while forcing two interceptions.

On the season, Rice ranks 13th nationally in passing yards allowed, giving up just 159.2 yards per game. Opposing quarterbacks have completed 54% of their passes against Rice, while the defense has faced an average of 40.1 rushing attempts per game, allowing 159.1 rushing yards per contest.

The Tigers Can Win If…

Memphis heads into Week 11 with a 7-2 record, and they are a lock for bowl eligibility. However, they have just a 0.1% chance of winning the American Athletic Conference. At home, the Tigers are 4-0, while they’ve gone 2-2 on the road this season.

Memphis has been favored in seven of their nine games, going 5-2 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin is +10.8 points per game, but they’ve struggled against the spread, posting a 3-5 record.

The over/under line for this week is set at 52.5 points. Memphis games have averaged 57.7 points per contest, with an average over/under line of 58.2 points this season.

Memphis has leaned heavily on their passing game this season, ranking 5th in both passing attempts and completions per game. They are 14th in passing yards, averaging 282.9 yards per game, and they are 24th in scoring, with 34.2 points per game. Seth Henigan has thrown for 2,532 yards, completing 65% of his passes, with 16 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He has a passer rating of 94.

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Mario Anderson Jr. leads the rushing attack with 833 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 5 yards per carry. Memphis is 58th in rushing, with 158.1 yards per game. Roc Taylor has 658 receiving yards on 46 catches but has only 2 touchdowns. Memphis is ranked 59th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 11.

Memphis’s defense will look to bounce back after allowing 44 points in their recent loss to UTSA. They gave up 410 total yards, including 307 passing yards and four passing touchdowns, though they held UTSA to just 103 rushing yards.

On the season, Memphis ranks 40th nationally, allowing 118.2 rushing yards per game. Opponents are averaging 237 passing yards per game against them, which ranks 119th in the country.

Our projections have Rice winning this matchup 26-25 on the road vs. Memphis. With Rice being the +9.5 point underdogs, we like their chances to pull off the win and recommend taking them vs. the spread.

For the over/under, with the line sitting at 52.5 points, we suggest taking the under, as our model has the combined score at 51 points.