I like Rice by 7-13 points.
Played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu Starting Time: 8pm EST on ESPN
Sunny. Winds northwest at 1-5 m.p.h (Honolulu, HI) Game-time temperature: Around 75.



Rice had a good season and though they came up monumentally short on the road against Marshall and Louisiana Tech, they had been in really good form. For Rice to win 6 games in a row with none of them being close is quite a feat for this Owls' program. But their best win may be their November 21 win over UTEP, another bowl-bound team. In that 6-game winning streak, they beat teams who are a combined record of 23-50. So let's call a spade a spade. Against teams over .500, the Owls are 1-4 while being outscored 203-77 in their 4 losses.

Rice's offense has some good balance, led by junior QB Driphus Jackson, who has thrown for over 2500 yards and 21 touchdowns, similar stats to Burrell's, just with half the picks at 8. The run game is led by Jowan Davis and Darik Dillard--a capable explosive duo. Their best receiver is Jordan Taylor, while Mario Hull is an ultra-dangerous playmaker, with a quarter of his touches going for touchdowns.

I like Rice laying a small number against a Fresno State team that really struggles defensively. The Bulldogs rank 111th in the nation in total defense with 455.8 ypg allowed. Rice has the more reliable defense, one that ranks 66th nationally with 396.8 ypg allowed. Lastly the Rice Owls are 11-3 ATS under Bailiff when getting more than a week to prepare for the opposition.

5* Best Bet Play o the Day! Merry Christmas and have a great day!