ESPN College Football Week 1 Picks & Predictions: Rice vs. Texas A&M
By Drew Sharper
COLLEGE STATION, TX (The Spread) –No. 7 Texas A&M hopes to move on from the distractions as it takes on Rice on Saturday at 1PM ET on ESPN, live from Kyle Field.
Texas A&M went 11-2 last season and was 8-5 against the spread. Rice went 7-6 in 2012 and 8-4-1 against the spread. These two teams haven’t met since 1995.
Odds: The oddsmakers from Bovada.lv have Texas A&M as a 27-point favorite at home against Rice on Saturday. The over/under total for the game has been set at 66.5 points.
Line Movement: The opening odds for this game had Texas A&M favored by 31.5 points. The spread was held up for a while as the situation with Johnny Manziel was figured out. With him sitting out a half, the odds have dipped down to as low as 26.5 points before closing at Texas A&M -27
Public Betting: Of the wagers that have been placed on this game, 67% are going on Texas A&M with a point spread of -27 against Rice today. Be sure to click on the public betting link to get the latest odds and betting percentages.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL FREE PICK: Take Rice plus the points. According to latest college football trends, the Owls are 4-0 against the spread in their last four non-conference games, 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall and 6-2 ATS in their last eight road games overall. The Aggies, meanwhile, are 0-4 against the spread in their last four games in August. As many know, A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel won’t play the first half versus Rice after being suspended following the NCAA’s investigation into whether or not he violated rules regarding autograph compensation. It’s been a long week and an even longer offseason for Kevin Sumlin’s team, which no doubt has to be distracted by all the media attention that their Heisman winner has accumulated. Meanwhile, Rice returns 18 starters and hopes to build off the momentum it created last season when the team won its final five games. The Owls also handed Air Force an embarrassing loss to Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl and figures to have an improved defense. They should cover the large spread in this game.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1 FREE PICK: RICE +27