Rice is set to face Southern Mississippi in the LendingTree Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 17. The game is scheduled for 6:30 pm ET while airing on ESPN. Southern Mississippi enters this game as 6.5-point favorites with the total set at 45.5. How will this one play out? Let’s dive into the Rice vs. Southern Mississippi prediction while looking at the LendingTree Bowl odds below.
LendingTree Bowl Odds
- Spread: Southern Mississippi -6
- Total: 45.5
Odds via PointsBet. New to this sportsbook? Check out our exclusive PointsBet Promo to redeem up to $2,000 in risk-free bets!
Game Info
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 17
- Time: 6:30 pm ET
- Location: Hancock Whitney Stadium — Mobile, AL
- TV: ESPN
Rice Betting Trends
- The Owls are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games in December.
- The Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Southern Miss.
- Favorite is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.
Southern Mississippi Betting Trends
- Golden Eagles are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games.
- The Over is 5-1 in Golden Eagles last 6 games following a ATS win.
- The Over is 5-1 in Golden Eagles last 6 non-conference games.
Rice vs. Southern Mississippi Prediction
Rice has lost four of its last five games, and it qualified for a bowl game despite holding a 5-7 record. That’s why a 6-6 middle-of-the-road Sun Belt team is favored by 6 points in a bowl game.
Southern Miss has struggled to run the ball this season, but in the games where RB Frank Gore Jr. found success, the Golden Eagles usually cruised to victory. Gore went for 83 yards in a 39-24 win over Louisiana, 199 yards in a 20-10 win over LA-Monroe, and 96 yards in a 20-19 win over Arkansas State. Good things happen when he finds room to run.
That should be the case against a Rice team that ranks 112th in opponent yards per carry (4.9), 82nd in opponent rushing yards per game, 120th in scoring defense (36.0 ppg), and 120th in opponent yards per play. Look for Southern Miss to control this game on offense and cruise to victory while covering the spread.
At the time of writing this, the line moved to Southern Miss -6.5 at most sportsbooks (which is fine to bet), but it’s still -6 at PointsBet.
The Pick: Southern Miss -6 | -110 at PointsBet
