It’s not quite the Red River Rivalry, but the states of Oklahoma and Texas will do battle once more on Thursday night as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane welcomes the Rice Owls for an all-AAC clash between two 3-3 teams.
Who emerges victorious? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a Tulsa vs. Rice prediction.
Tulsa vs. Rice Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Tulsa vs. Rice odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
Tulsa -3 - Moneyline
Tulsa -148, Rice +124 - Over/Under
57.5 points - Game time
7 p.m. ET - Location
Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, OK - Predicted Weather at Kick
59 degrees, 5-7 mph winds, clear - How to Watch
FuboTV, ESPN2
Think there’s a way to get rich off of Rice? Looking to make a little gold off the Golden Hurricane? If you’re going to take advantage of the Tulsa vs. Rice odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
Two 3-3 teams, with their fair share of highs and lows already at the midpoint of the 2023 college football season and no glaringly obvious advantage, make this all-AAC matchup a difficult one to predict.
The Tulsa vs. Rice odds favor the Golden Hurricane, and Tulsa holds a slender 10-8-1 advantage in the head-to-head history — albeit without a matchup since 2013.
Rice won that clash 10 years ago, and there’s reason to believe that they can replicate that result when these two go into battle on Thursday night. Our Tulsa vs. Rice prediction details the how and why, but if you’re taking the Owls to have a hoot in Oklahoma, then take the spread too. Rice is 4-2 covering the spread, including in their only game as a single-digit ‘dog.
Which leaves us with the over/under line.
It’s another close-fought contest, with the Owls 4-2 in favor of the over and the Golden Hurricane hitting the under in four of their six games. Our Tulsa vs. Rice prediction leans towards the over in a single-score game, but like every other line in this matchup, confidence isn’t overly high. Approach with caution.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Tulsa Depth Chart | Rice Depth Chart
- QB JT Daniels, Rice ($8,900)
- QB Cardell Williams, Tulsa ($8,500)
- QB Braylon Braxton, Tulsa ($8,500)
- RB Dean Connors, Rice ($7,500)
- RB Anthony Watkins, Tulsa ($7,000)
- RB Tahj Gary, Tulsa ($6,200)
- RB Juma Otoviano, Rice ($6,000)
- RB Bill Jackson, Tulsa ($5,200)
- RB Ari Broussard, Rice ($4,900)
- RB Jordan Ford, Tulsa ($4,800)
- RB Daelen Alexander, Rice ($4,500)
- WR Luke McCaffrey, Rice ($9,800)
- WR Marquis Shoulders, Tulsa ($8,000)
- WR Rawson MacNeill, Rice ($7,100)
- WR Devan Williams, Tulsa ($6,700)
- WR Landon Ransom-Goelz, Rice ($6,500)
- WR Kamdyn Benjamin, Tulsa ($6,100)
- WR Braylin Presley, Tulsa ($5,700)
- WR Matt Sykes, Rice ($5,300)
- WR Braylen Walker, Rice ($5,200)
- TE Boden Groen, Rice ($5,600)
- TE Luke McGary, Tulsa ($5,500)
- TE Jack Bradley, Rice ($4,900)
- TE Ethan Hall, Tulsa ($4,800)
There are two college football games on Thursday to compile your DFS team from in Week 8. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “superflex” that can be any of the above. Or you can also select a tight end for the Superflex spot.
With quarterback uncertainty due to the status of Braylon Braxton, your Tulsa vs. Rice picks might want to steer clear of the Golden Hurricane QB room. However, there is a contender for the QB or superflex spot in this matchup.
JT Daniels is the sixth-ranked fantasy QB in the American Conference with 117.44 points and can potentially put up some good points.
Both teams can contribute to your WR room for DFS purposes. Luke McCaffrey and Marquis Shoulders are both top 10 pass catchers in the AAC, and the Rice receiver has more points than anyone else available across the two games on Thursday night.
While Shoulders isn’t a high-volume target, he’s the scoring heartbeat of whatever passing game Tulsa trots out in this game.
With Marshall’s Rasheen Ali also in action Thursday, you’re realistically looking at filling just one RB spot in your DFS lineup. Tulsa has the third most rushing attempts in the AAC, but with only single-digit rushing scores and a rotational usage policy, it’s hard to plump for one guy.
It’s not hard for Rice; Dean Connors is a receiving threat in addition to his ground game skills.
Prediction for Tulsa vs. Rice
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Tulsa vs. Rice odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction. For one night only, both teams are drinking in the .500 last chance saloon.
Will the Owls fly to a fourth win of the season?
Or is Tulsa the team to blow through their opponent with the Golden Hurricane taking the advantage in the American?
As discussed above, Tulsa’s quarterback situation is up in the air ahead of the game. Starter Braxton has missed time with injury, and in his press conference this week, head coach Kevin Wilson declared that both his quarterbacks are healthy but refused to name a starter.
Many fans have called for Williams to remain the starter, despite Braxton being the heir apparent to Davis Brin.
Williams flashed against Temple, but has been inconsistent. Either side of that clash against a different Owl, he’s thrown zero touchdowns with two interceptions in each start. The Golden Hurricane will try and blow by Rice on the ground, but Mike Bloomgren’s team has been adept at limiting yardage against the run — with a fourth-best in the AAC 3.84 yards per carry allowed.
While Rice might be able to neuter Tulsa’s offensive strengths, the Golden Hurricane may struggle to do the same. QB Daniels will throw the ball a ton, and Tulsa has one of the worst pass defenses in the AAC in terms of opposition completion percentage and yards per game.
They can force turnovers, but perhaps not enough to clip the wings of the Owls on Thursday.
Prediction: Tulsa 28, Rice 31