EAST TEXAS A&M LIONS @ RICE OWLS

Rice has the series edge at home

Rice leads the all-time series 6-2, including a 3-2 record against the Lions in Houston, and won last season's meeting 71-64.

Lions arrive after a landmark upset

East Texas A&M opened with a 68-64 road win over Oklahoma, its first over a power-conference opponent; Bo Aldridge led with 22 points, while Alonzo Dodd and Mohamed Diakite scored 15 each.

Rice showed unusual depth in its opener

Rice beat Dallas Christian 100-55, with 14 players appearing and 11 scoring.

No injuries listed; game-night starters remain unconfirmed

Covers' tracker listed no reported injuries for either team; opening-game starters remain reference points, not confirmed Thursday lineups.

Pick Ideas

Angles drawn from the matchup analysis above and refreshed as the news changes. They are a separate read from the LineCrush pick for this matchup, so the two can land on different sides.

Conditional East Texas A&M team threes over

If the Lions' team-total line is 7.5 made threes or lower, consider the over after they made 11 threes in the opener; avoid substantially higher lines.

Rice spread only at a modest number

Consider a Rice spread around -5 or shorter, but pass at a larger number because its 13.9 offensive rebounds per game last season may not carry over.

Set a price ceiling on Rice moneyline

With ESPN's 68.6% Rice win probability implying roughly -218 fair odds, treat shorter prices as poor value.

Wait for a posted total

With TeamRankings listing no spread or total, there is no sound basis for a pregame total wager.