Rice vs Charlotte Prediction, Odds & Picks for Thursday Night CFB

• Rice meets Charlotte in Thursday Night CFB action
• Rice is favored despite being 1-5 SU in their last six road games
• Look for my Rice vs Charlotte prediction with the Thursday CFB odds below

Week 4 of the CFB season kicks off with a sneaky good American Conference matchup on Thursday, September 18th, as the Rice Owls (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) roll into Charlotte to face the 49ers (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS) at Jerry Richardson Stadium.

The Owls sit at 2-1 after a solid 38-17 beatdown of FCS program Prairie View A&M last week, while Charlotte is 1-2 after a gritty 42-35 win over Monmouth. Tune into ESPN at 7:30pm ET to catch the Rice vs Charlotte CFB action.

Check out the latest Rice vs Charlotte odds and my betting prediction.

Rice vs Charlotte Odds

Rice are 2.5-point favorites for Thursday night Week 3 CFB in the college football odds. The total for Rice vs Charlotte is sitting at 42.5 points, with the under favored at -115, and the over coming back at -105.

A massive 81% of bets and 92% of the money is on Rice to win this game in the college football public betting splits.

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Odds as of September 16th at FanDuel. Explore the best college football betting apps for Rice vs Charlotte.

Rice Betting Trends

Rice’s triple-option offense is all about controlling the clock and grinding out yards on the ground. The Owls offense ranks third in the nation in rushing play percentage, as a wild 80% of snaps result in a rushing attempt. This is a slow, deliberate, grind your opponent into dust offense.

However, while they play the same style of offense as the service academies, the Owls are far less effective. Rice is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, on 54 rushes per game. Scott Abell’s squad also sits 79th in EPA per rush through three games. Concerningly, Rice has attempted just 41 passes this season, so if they fall behind, the road to a comeback is a long one.

Defensively, the Owls are allowing 23.5 points per contest and a stingy 5.5 yards per play. They’re also 35th in passing EPA allowed. However, it’s worth noting that Rice sandwiched a loss to Houston between wins against an FCS squad and a struggling Louisiana team. So they’ve faced only one meaningful opponent this year.

Intriguingly, Rice opened as high as 6.5-point favorites before bettors hammered the line down. The under has hit in four of the Owls last five road games, with an average of 37.6 points scored in those contests.

Charlotte Betting Trends

UNC transfer quarterback Conner Harrell has played efficient football for the 49ers this season, completing 67% of passes for 664 yards and four touchdowns, including 382 passing yards and three touchdowns in the win over Monmouth last week.

However, the 49ers got smoked by Appalachian State 34-11 in Week 1 and UNC 20-3 in Week 2, while being outgained by an average of over 100 yards per game.

Concerningly, the 49ers have coughed up seven turnovers and are allowing an eye-popping 165 rushing yards per game. Advanced metrics don’t do them any favors, as despite playing an FCS team in Week three, the 49ers rank outside of the top 80 in both EPA allowed against the pass and run. If the 49ers can’t stop the Owls power running attack, it could be a long night in Charlotte.

Moreover, the betting trends don’t favor the 49ers, as Charlotte is just 5-15 ATS in their last 20 games at home, and 6-2 SU in their last 18 games overall.

Rice vs Charlotte Prediction

I feel this spread has fallen too far in Charlotte’s favor. Rice will be able to exploit a vulnerable Charlotte run defense on a short week. Coach Abell’s scheme is tough to prep for, and Rice’s defense ranks fourth nationally in opponent completion percentage.

Expect to see a grueling, slog of a matchup in the trenches where Rice pulls away late.

• Pick: Rice -2.5 (-110)