Rice Owls (2-4) vs. UAB Blazers (5-2)
October 23, 2021 3:30 pm EDT
The Line: UAB Blazers -23 / Rice Owls +23; Over/Under: 45
(Get latest betting odds)
The UAB Blazers meet the Rice Owls and Saturday in week 8 C-USA college football action at Protective Stadium. The Rice Owls need a win to rebound from a 2-4 record. The UAB Blazers look for a win after winning four of their last five games.
The Rice Owls have lost four of their last five road games. Jake Constantine is completing 74.2 percent of his passes for 564 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Jake Bailey and Cedric Patterson III have combined for 471 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while Jordan Myers has 18 receptions. The Rice Owls ground game is averaging 149.3 yards per contest, and Myers leads the way with 264 yards and five touchdowns. Defensively, Rice is allowing 39.7 points and 438 yards per game. Antonio Montero leads the Rice Owls with 44 tackles, Ikenna Enechukwu has three sacks and George Nyakwol has two interceptions.
The UAB Blazers have split their last two home games. Dylan Hopkins is completing 60.8 percent of his passes for 973 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. Gerrit Prince and Trea Shropshire have combined for 687 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, while RaJae’ Johnson-Sanders has eight receptions. The UAB Blazers ground game is averaging 167 yards per contest, and Dewayne McBride leads the way with 532 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, UAB is allowing 19 points and 321.1 yards per game. Noah Wilder leads the UAB Blazers with 42 tackles, Alex Wright has three sacks and Keondre Swoopes has two interceptions.
The Owls are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall. The Blazers are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 home games and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The under is 6-0 in Owls last 6 conference games. The under is 5-0 in Blazers last 5 games overall. The Owls are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 meetings in UAB and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
The UAB Blazers are not a good football team, but this line suggests just how bad Rice is. The Rice Owls are ranked 126th both in scoring offense and scoring defense. Rice has also been shutout in each of its last two road games. Rice has done nothing well o neither side of the ball and has failed to cover five of its last six games despite being big underdogs most weeks. It’s UAB in a beat down or pass for me.
