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JT Daniels of the Rice Owls warms up before the game against the Texas Longhorns as we look at our Rice-Tulsa prediction.
JT Daniels of the Rice Owls warms up before the game against the Texas Longhorns. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images/AFP.

Our Rice-Tulsa prediction for college football's Week 8 is rooted in the best college football odds from our best sports betting apps as we focus on the advantage Owls QB JT Daniels should enjoy while throwing against the Golden Hurricane's secondary.

On Thursday night, Rice (3-3, 1-1) will visit Tulsa (3-3, 1-1) in an American Athletic Conference showdown.

Although both teams have shown weak points in their passing defenses this season, one side possesses an advantage in quarterback performance going into the matchup.

To accompany our college football predictions for Week 8, here is our best Rice-Tulsa prediction and our college football picks (odds via our best college football betting sites; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Rice vs. Tulsa prediction 

Rice +3 (-105 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

Editor's note: The line has now +3.5 at all of our best sportsbooks.

Neither team has been particularly efficient on either side of the ball in 2023, but one strength emerges from the raw numbers among the various units in this matchup.

Rice is ranked 12th nationally, averaging 316.2 passing yards per game. Well-traveled quarterback JT Daniels is finding success with his fourth team after spinning the transfer wheel one last time.

The Owls passing game facing off against the Golden Hurricane Thursday is fortuitous. Tulsa's defense has permitted 294.2 passing yards per game to the opposition (125th in FBS).

Rice is also terrible defensively against the pass, but Tulsa doesn’t seem to possess the chops to do anything about it. Offensively, the Golden Hurricane ranks 110th in the FBS in passing yards per game at 179.0. Tulsa sits 95th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency.

Rice covered comfortably while staying within 35.5 points of the Texas Longhorns in Austin during its only game as a road underdog in 2023. Overall, the Owls are 4-2 against the spread (ATS).

Tulsa is 1-2 ATS as a home team on the year. With Rice’s advantage in the passing game and its slightly more favorable effort against the spread on the campaign, we’re riding with the Owls to keep it close on Thursday night.

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Rice vs. Tulsa best odds

DraftKings (-105)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsbet365
+3+3.5+3+3+3
-105-120-110-110-110

FanDuel offers the most favorable odds on Rice at +3.5, but the -120 odds required to bet the Owls on that line are somewhat prohibitive. The rest of our best sports betting sites check in at Rice +3.

BetMGM, Caesars, and bet365 give reasonable value with standard -110 odds. But the current DraftKings odds are appealing, with that book providing a discount at -105 to bet the underdog Owls.

Rice vs. Tulsa odds

Rice vs. Tulsa odds analysis

Tulsa opened as a 3.5-point home favorite and currently sits between -2.5 and -3.5 across our best sportsbooks. Right now, just under 70% of wagers are on Tulsa.

The total opened at 56 before increasing to between 57 and 57.5 across our best live betting sites. The action has flipped back and forth between the Over and Under in early wagering, with the Over holding 53% of wagers as of Wednesday morning.

Rice vs. Tulsa game info

  • When: Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: H.A. Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, OK
  • How to watch: ESPN2
  • Weather: 72 Degrees, 8-mph winds, 0% chance of precipitation

Rice-Tulsa prediction made 10/17/23 at 4 p.m. ET.

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