Charlotte 49ers vs Rice Owls Prediction & Picks - NCAA
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by Travis Pulver | in NCAA Picks
The Rice Owls will take on the Charlotte 49ers at Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte, NC, Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. EST. This American Athletic Conference matchup will be broadcast on ESPN.
Rice has gotten the season off to a nice start with victories over Louisiana (14-12) and Prairie View A&M (38-17), with a loss to Houston (35-9) sandwiched in between. QB Chase Jenkins has completed 73% of his passes, but the Owls are more of a run team. After three games, he has 182 total yards passing. They’ve been more of a run-team though, with 200+ yards on the ground in the win over Louisiana and 300+ against Prairie View A&M. Charlotte, however, is off to a rougher, having gone 1-2. They dropped their opener to Appalachian State, 34-11, lost to North Carolina a week later (20-3), and finally got a win last week vs. Monmouth (42-35). They struggled on offense the first two weeks, but the passing game blew up for 382 yards and three touchdowns in Week 3.
Neither team was too competitive last season as Rice finished the year 4-8. Charlotte didn’t do much better at 5-7. Expectations were low for both coming into the season.
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Charlotte 49ers vs Rice Owls Form
Table
| Teams | Pts | P | W | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
11
|
0.25 | 8 | 2 | 6 |
|
14
|
0 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
Charlotte 49ers and Rice Owls Latest Matches
1/3 (33%)
2/3 (67%)
Sep 13, 2025 - NCAA
Sep 6, 2025 - NCAA
Aug 29, 2025 - NCAA
1/3 (33%)
2/3 (67%)
Sep 13, 2025 - NCAA
Sep 6, 2025 - NCAA
Aug 29, 2025 - NCAA
2/3 (67%)
1/3 (33%)
Sep 13, 2025 - NCAA
Sep 6, 2025 - NCAA
Aug 30, 2025 - NCAA
1/2 (50%)
1/2 (50%)
Sep 13, 2025 - NCAA
Sep 6, 2025 - NCAA
1/1 (100%)
0/1 (0%)
Aug 30, 2025 - NCAA
Charlotte 49ers - Rice Owls Key Points
- The all-time series between Rice and Charlotte is tied, with both teams having won three times.
- The Rice defense has allowed 21.3 points per game and 294 yards, while Charlotte has given up 449 yards per game and 29.7 points.
- Betting Public: In early betting, 90% of moneyline tickets are on Rice, while 70% of the handle is on Charlotte.
- Betting Public: In early betting, 62% of TOTAL tickets and 74% of the handle are on the OVER.
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Our Charlotte 49ers vs Rice Owls Prediction
Evaluating teams early in the season comes with its challenges, especially when both teams were subpar last season. Has Rice improved, or is their record just a product of an easy schedule? At the same time, is Charlotte as bad as they looked through their first two games? Probably not. From what we’ve seen from both teams, Rice could certainly take over this game on the ground. If he can, the Owls can keep a good Charlotte passing game on the sideline. It’s going to be an ugly game, but it’s one that Rice should win.
Our Rice vs. Charlotte Pick: Rice ML
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
