Monday, March 20's 2022-23 CBI Tournament schedule includes a quarterfinal matchup between the Southern Utah Thunderbirds and Rice Owls at 2 p.m. ET.
- Southern Utah vs Rice Game Info
- Southern Utah vs Rice Odds & Spread
- Southern Utah vs Rice Betting Trends
- Southern Utah vs Rice Prediction & Pick
- Southern Utah vs Rice Best Bet
Southern Utah vs Rice Game Info
- 2022-23 College Basketball Invitational Game
- Southern Utah (23-12) vs. Rice (19-15)
- Date:'Monday, March 20, 2023
- Time:'2 PM ET
- Venue:'Ocean Center — Daytona Beach, Florida
- Coverage:'FloSports
Jason Spurgin's 16-point, 17-rebound double-double played a big role in Southern Utah's 72-50 win over North Alabama. On the other side, Rice advanced past the first round with an 84-78 victory against Duquesne, holding the Dukes to just 41.9% shooting from the floor.
Can Southern Utah make it to the semifinals? Or will Rice pull off the upset in Daytona Beach?
Southern Utah vs Rice Odds & Spread
- Moneyline:'SUU: (-300) | RICE: (+240)
- Spread:'SUU: -6.5 (-110) | RICE: +6.5 (-110)
- Total:'160.5 — Over: (-106) | Under: (-114)
Southern Utah enters this contest as a clear favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 2 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 160.5 points with the UNDER being favored at -114 odds.
Southern Utah vs Rice Betting Trends
- Southern Utah is 4-1 straight up in its last five games.
- Rice is 4-10 straight up in its last 14 games.
- Southern Utah is 1-7-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last nine games on a Monday.
- Rice is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games against the WAC.
- The total has hit the OVER in four of Southern Utah's last six games.
- The total has hit the over in nine of Rice's last 13 games.
Southern Utah vs Rice Prediction & Pick
A few things are working against Rice in this matchup. For starters, Scott Pera's team has lost eight of its last 10 outings as the underdog. On top of that, the Owls have one of the worst defenses in the country, surrendering 78.5 PPG (17th-worst) while allowing opponents to shoot 47.6% from the field (24th-worst) and 37.2% from three-point range (29th-worst).
Unfortunately for Rice, it isn't going up against any ordinary offense. Southern Utah scores at a 78.2 PPG clip (No. 23) on decent .449/.347/.731 splits. Even if the Thunderbirds aren't the most accurate team, their 36.7 rebounds per game (No. 57) show they can clean up their messes. The Owls only average 33.5 RPG (T-No. 226), on the other hand.
With a 75% winning percentage in its last 16 games as the favorite, look for Southern Utah to take advantage of Rice's lack of defense and paint presence.
Final Score Prediction:'Southern Utah: 82 | Rice: 75
Southern Utah vs Rice Best Bet
For this afternoon's best bet, I'm rocking with Southern Utah on the spread. As solid as Rice can be, it's only 1-6 ATS in its last seven outings and doesn't have the defense to shut down its opponent. Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds are at least 6-3-2 ATS in away-neutral site games against non-WAC opponents this season.
Considering how the Thunderbirds' offense helps them pull away at any given moment, I see Southern Utah covering the spread in a decisive victory.