Betting on today’s Owls and Shockers game? Catch the action at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX, as the Shockers hosts this showdown at 1:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this American Athletic conference contest is set at 140 points, with Wichita State being favored by -3.5 at home against Rice.

RICE OWLS VS WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Wichita State Shockers -3.5

This game will be played at Dickies Arena at 1:00 ET on Wednesday, March 13th.

WHY BET THE WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-70 in favor of the Shockers.
  • Not only will Wichita State pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -3.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 140 points, and we like the over with a projected 145 points.

No Pressure for Rice as Away Dogs

Despite their losing record, Rice has been a better team on the road this season, going 5-8 compared to 6-12 at home. Their average scoring margin on the road is -6.1 compared to -1.7 at home. The Owls have lost two straight games on the road and have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games away from home.

As the underdog, Rice has gone 4-15 this season, and they come into this game having lost four straight games. In their last game, the Owls lost to North Texas by a score of 71-55. On the season, Rice is 11-20, including a 5-13 record in American Athletic Conference games.

As the underdog this season, Rice has gone just 6-11-2 vs. the spread. However, their ATS mark in their last 10 games as the underdog is a solid 4-5-1. On the road, the Owls have an ATS record of 7-6 this year and are 6-4 in their last 10 road games vs. the spread.

Today’s over/under line of 140 for Rice’s game against Wichita State is lower than the average over/under line in their games this season (149.2). So far, 12 of their games have finished with fewer than 140 points, including their last three games (136 average points per game in their last three contests). On the year, their over/under record is 14-16-1.

Compared to their season average of 71.7 points per game, Rice struggled in their previous game. Against North Texas, the Owls scored 55 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 37.3%. Travis Evee led the team in scoring, putting up 21 points. Additionally, Max Fiedler contributed 11 points for the Owls.

Looking at the Rice defense, they will be looking for a better performance considering they are currently conceding 75.3 points per game (258th). The Rice defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 71 points and allowed North Texas to connect on 6 threes.

Does Wichita State Have a Shot at a Home Win?

Wichita State enters this game with a 13-18 record, including a 5-12 mark in American Athletic Conference play. The Shockers have been much better at home this season, going 9-7 compared to 3-10 on the road.

As the favorite, Wichita State is 10-4 this season. In their last game, the Shockers fell to Tulane by a score of 85-75. Over their last 10 games at home, Wichita State is 4-6.

Wichita State’s ATS record this season is 11-17-1, including a 7-9 mark at home. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Shockers are 4-6 vs. the spread.

So far this season, the over/under record for Wichita State games is 14-15. Today’s over/under line of 140 is lower than the average over/under line in their games this season (146.6). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 150 points and their over/under record during that span is 2-1.

In their recent game, the Shockers’ offense concluded with 75 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 72.8 points per contest. The team’s scoring leader is Colby Rogers, who holds an average of 16.5 as they head into today’s matchup. Additionally, Xavier Bell is averaging 11.6 points per game this season.

Wichita State’s defense is currently in line with the NCAA average for points allowed, allowing an average of 73.1 points per game. The Wichita State defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 85 points and allowed Tulane to connect on 8 threes.