Navy vs Rice Prediction: Bet Midshipmen to Sail by Owls on Nov. 2
- Navy is looking to bounce back from its first loss of the season last week.
- Rice is on a two-game losing skid and is a double-digit underdog in NCAAF odds.
- Midshipmen tied with Tulane for second place in the American Athletic Conference standings.
- Check the latest odds at the BetUS sportsbook for this contest and make your bets before kickoff!
The Navy Midshipmen return to league play when they visit the Rice Owls for an American Athletic Conference contest on Saturday. Navy is coming off its first loss of the season last week, falling 51-14 to Notre Dame.
Rice has dropped two in a row and five of its last six. One piece of good news for the Owls is this game will be played at Rice Stadium, which is where they have earned their only two wins of the season.
College football lines have this game going the Midshipmen’s way as they’re 11-point favorites on the road. The sportsbook has set the over/under total at 50½ points.
Let’s take a closer look at the game so you can bet online for some winning wagers.
Navy vs Rice Game Information
- Game: Navy (6-1, 4-0 American Athletic Conference) vs Rice (2-6, 1-3)
- Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 2, 4:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Rice Stadium, Houston, TX
Navy vs Rice Odds and Spread
Bet on Navy vs Rice Game Odds at BetUS Sportsbook!
Top 2 Factors In Betting Navy vs Rice
1. Midshipmen Needs Bounce-Back Performance
Last week was not a good one for the Navy Midshipmen in online betting. Notre Dame dominated the Midshipmen, handing them their first loss. The biggest problem was turnovers – the Fighting Irish forced five Navy fumbles and intercepted a pass.
The Midshipmen had just two turnovers going into that game, both being interceptions.
Quarterback Blake Horvath accounted for three of the turnovers against Notre Dame, throwing the interception and fumbling the ball away twice. He’ll certainly be on a mission to make up for that against the Owls.
Horvath has been the offensive leader for Navy this season, passing for 976 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 750 yards and 11 scores. As he goes, so go the Midshipmen, so look for him to carry the ball a lot early on in this game.
Blake Horvath : 7/13 for 88 yards, INT, 2 lost fumbles & a 95.3 QB Rating; 14 carries for 129 yards & a TD (Season-high 3 turnovers) pic.twitter.com/AdzcJw7Rrf
— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) October 26, 2024
Part of what makes the Navy running game so dangerous is the threat of passes to players like running back Eli Heidenreich. The junior had just two catches for 10 yards against Notre Dame, but prior to that game, he had 23 receptions for 485 yards, averaging 21.1 yards per catch.
Rice will have a tough task at slowing down the Navy offense, especially as it tries to re-establish itself after last week’s performance. The Midshipmen’s ability to move the ball and score is a major reason why the college football predictions for this game lean to the visitors.
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2. Rice Must Be Able To Make The Most Of Scoring Opportunities
For the Rice Owls to stay with the Midshipmen, they must be able to hold their own on the offensive side of the ball. That hasn’t been easy for Rice this season as it has scored just 10 points in each of the last two games, both losses.
The Owls made college football news after last week’s 17-10 loss to UConn, firing head coach Mike Bloomgren. Associate head coach Pete Alamar was named interim coach.
Quarterback E.J. Warner has passed for 1,573 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, but he also has nine interceptions. The junior has to be careful with the ball against a Navy team that will look to get some takeaways.
Warner’s favorite target this season has been senior wide receiver Matt Sykes, who has 41 catches for 476 yards and three touchdowns. His three catches in last week’s loss to Connecticut were the first time in five games that he finished with fewer than six receptions.
The Midshipmen have been prone to allowing points by the opponent, giving up 24.1 points a game. But Rice can’t afford to not stick it in the end zone when it gets into the red zone. Field goals will not win this game for the Owls.
Unfortunately for Rice, we don’t see it winning this game at all. Navy has a chip on its shoulder after last week’s loss, and it will look to put away the Owls in a hurry.
Your college football picks for this weekend should definitely include a wager on Navy to win and cover on the road.
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.
Question of the Day
What is the all-time series record between Navy and Rice?
The all-time series is tied at six wins apiece, with the last matchup between these two schools on the gridiron coming in 2009.
