Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Rice Owls Free Prediction 03/01/20

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The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (7-21, 3-12 CUSA) will be at Tudor Fieldhouse to clash with the Rice Owls (13-15, 5-10 CUSA) in a CUSA matchup. Action gets underway at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 1, 2020.

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Rice Owls ATS Odds

In their last matchup, the Owls fell to the UTEP Miners, 68-62, while the Blue Raiders were victorious over the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, 61-53.

The Blue Raiders forced 18 turnovers and held the Golden Eagles to an offensive rebounding percentage of 22.6 (below their season average of 28.8). Rice, on the other hand, had an offensive rebounding percentage of 36.2 (above their season average of 25.1). Rice rallied around Drew Peterson, who had 18 points and 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, C.J. Jones played well for Middle Tennessee, contributing 18 points.

In their first matchup this season, Josh Parrish led the Owls to a 91-83 win. He put up 21 points and eight rebounds. Getting to the free throw line was one of Rice’s largest advantages. They made 38 trips to the line, while Middle Tennessee went 24 times.

When considering effective field goal percentage, Rice should have a noteworthy advantage. The sharp-shooting Owls offense ranks 86th in the nation in that metric at 0.518, while the Middle Tennessee defense is ranked 332nd in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.535).

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs. Rice Owls Betting Pick

Pick: SU Winner – Rice, ATS Winner – Rice, O/U – Under

Betting Notes:

  • Middle Tennessee ranks 64th in three pointers allowed per game (19.4) while Rice ranks 236th (23.8).
  • The Blue Raiders average 6.8 steals per game, which ranks 104th in the nation. The Owls rank 109th in steals allowed per game (6.2).
  • The Owls average 14.0 assists per game, which ranks 82nd in the country. The Blue Raiders rank 207th in assists allowed per game (13.8).
  • Rice averages 36.1 rebounds per game, which ranks 125th in the nation. Middle Tennessee ranks 208th in rebounds allowed per game (36.5).

Bettings Trends:

  • During their last five games, the Blue Raiders have scored an average of 70.4 points per game (1.2 below their season average) and allowed an average of 76.2 points per game (0.0 above their season average).
  • The Owls have outscored opponents by an average of 5.8 points in their last five games. On the season, Rice has lost by an average of 0.9 points.