Memphis vs. Rice prediction, odds, betting line: 2024 Week 11 college football picks from proven model

SportsLine's model simulated Friday's Rice Owls vs. Memphis Tigers matchup 10,000 times

By CBS Sports Staff

Nov 8, 2024 at 7:00 pm ET • 3 min read

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The Memphis Tigers will look to get back into the win column when they battle the Rice Owls in a key American Athletic Conference matchup on Friday night. Memphis had its four-game winning streak snapped with a 44-36 loss at UTSA last Saturday, ending any College Football Playoff hopes for the Tigers. Rice upset Navy 24-10 last time out. The Owls (3-6, 2-3 AAC), who are tied for eighth in the conference, are 0-4 on the road this season. The Tigers (7-2, 3-2 AAC), who are fourth in the league and now a longshot to win the AAC, are 5-0 on their home field in 2024. Memphis is 5-5 against the spread this season, while Rice is 4-4-1 ATS.

Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis. After opening at -10.5, the Tigers are now 7-point favorites in the latest Rice vs. Memphis odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 50.5. Before making any Memphis vs. Rice picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and it is a sizzling 18-9 on all top-rated picks over the past six weeks of this season. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen strong returns.

The model has set its sights on Rice vs. Memphis. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football betting lines and trends for Memphis vs. Rice:

Rice vs. Memphis spread: Memphis -7
Rice vs. Memphis over/under: 50.5 points
Rice vs. Memphis money line: Memphis -287, Rice +229
RICE: The Owls have hit the game total under in nine of their last 13 games (+4.60 units)
MEM: The Tigers have hit the game total over in eight of their last 13 games (+2.50 units)
Rice vs. Memphis picks: See picks at SportsLine
Rice vs. Memphis streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)

Why you should back Memphis

Senior quarterback Seth Henigan leads the Tigers' offense. He has completed 232 of 357 passes (65%) for 2,532 yards and 16 touchdowns with just five interceptions and a rating of 136.5. He has also rushed for one touchdown. In the loss at UTSA on Saturday, he completed 35 of 52 passes (67.3%) for 454 yards and four touchdowns. He also threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns in a 56-44 loss at Navy on Sept. 21.

Senior running back Mario Anderson Jr. is closing in on a 1,000-yard rushing season, after finishing with 707 yards last season. This year, he leads the Tigers with 148 carries for 833 yards (5.6 average) and 14 touchdowns. He has five games of 100 or more yards rushing, including a monster performance in a 52-44 win against North Texas on Oct. 19. In that game, he carried 22 times for 183 yards (8.3 average) and four touchdowns. See which team to pick here.

Why you should back Rice

Junior quarterback E.J. Warner has been solid for the Owls after spending his first two seasons at Temple. He has completed 188 of 303 passes (62%) for 1,812 yards and 11 touchdowns with 10 interceptions and a 117.7 rating. In three collegiate seasons, he has passed for 7,916 yards, 52 touchdowns and 34 interceptions for a 124.3 rating. In a 29-27 win over UTSA on Oct. 12, he completed 25 of 39 passes (64.1%) for 347 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for another.

Senior wide receiver Matt Sykes is among the leaders in the passing attack. He has caught 49 passes for 569 yards (11.6 average) and four touchdowns. In the win over Navy on Saturday, he caught eight passes for 93 yards (11.6 average) and one touchdown. See which team to pick here.