frank-gore-jr-usatsi-cbs.jpg
Getty Images

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles take on the Rice Owls on Saturday evening in the 2022 LendingTree Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The programs meet for the 13th time, with each side winning six previous matchups. Rice finished the season with three straight losses and posted a 5-7 record. Southern Miss is 6-6 following a win over UL-Monroe in the final regular season game.

Caesars Sportsbook lists the Golden Eagles as 6.5-point favorites for this 5:45 p.m. ET kickoff. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 45.5 in the latest Rice vs. Southern Miss odds. Before making any Southern Miss vs. Rice picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Rice vs. Southern Miss and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several college football odds and betting lines for Southern Miss vs. Rice:

  • Rice vs. Southern Miss spread: Southern Miss -6.5 
  • Rice vs. Southern Miss over/under: 45.5 points 
  • Rice vs. Southern Miss money line: Southern Miss -240, Rice +196
  • RICE: The Owls are 7-5 against the spread this season 
  • USM: The Golden Eagles are 9-3 against the spread this season 
  • Rice vs. Southern Miss picks: See picks here

Why Rice can cover

Rice is very strong in third down offense this season, converting 41.8% of opportunities and ranking in the top five of Conference USA in that metric. The Owls are also averaging 7.5 yards per pass attempt, and Rice has very strong wide receivers. Bradley Rozner leads the team with 834 receiving yards, nine touchdowns and 20.3 yards per catch, with versatile sophomore Luke McCaffrey adding a different element. He is the younger brother of NFL star Christian McCaffrey and, while McCaffrey last played on Nov. 3 due to injury, he is projected to return for the bowl matchup. He has 51 catches for 656 yards and six touchdowns this season, with McCaffrey also adding 137 rushing yards. 

On defense, Rice ranks in the top five of Conference USA in total defense, passing defense, and rushing defense, with 23 sacks this season. The Owls can also benefit from Southern Miss's issues on offense, with middling numbers in completion rate (55.5%), interceptions (14), and yards per rush attempt (3.3).

Why Southern Miss can cover

Southern Miss has arguably the best offensive player on either side in Frank Gore Jr. The sophomore standout and son of former NFL star Frank Gore is averaging 5.1 yards per carry this season, and Gore Jr. has 1,053 rushing yards overall. He has seven games with at least 80 rushing yards, including a season-high 199 yards in the regular season finale against UL-Monroe. Southern Miss is also generating 7.6 yards per pass attempt, and Rice has defensive questions. 

The Owls gave up 33.8 points per game during the regular season and struggled in allowing 5.0 yards per carry. Opponents had 26 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions against Rice, and Southern Miss also has a strong defense. The Golden Eagles led the Sun Belt with 39 sacks and 16 interceptions this season, and Southern Miss gave up only 23.5 points per game.

How to make Rice vs. Southern Miss picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, with both teams projected to generate multiple touchdown passes. The model also says one side of the spread hits in more than 50% of simulations. You can only see the model's LendingTree Bowl pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Rice vs. Southern Miss? And which side of the spread hits in more than 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Rice vs. Southern Miss spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.