The Florida Atlantic Owls and Rice Owls will have a battle of the birds on Saturday night in Houston. Rice is 3-2 to start the season and could get a huge win for their bowl eligibility hopes with a win in this contest over a struggling FAU team. Here, I have broken down this game from all angles and you can keep reading to get my Florida Atlantic vs Rice prediction.
Our Florida Atlantic vs Rice Pick
- Pick: Rice Owls -4.5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Florida Atlantic Owls vs Rice Owls
- Date & Time: Saturday, October 4, 2025, 7:00 PM EDT
- Venue: Rice Stadium, Houston, TX
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
- Florida Atlantic’s Struggles: The Owls have had a challenging start to the season, with a 1–3 record. Their offense has shown promise, averaging 29.3 points per game. But their defense has been a liability, allowing 36.5 points per game.
- Rice’s Balanced Attack: The Owls from Rice have a 3–2 record, with a strong running game averaging 221 rushing yards per game. Their defense has been solid, allowing 20.4 points per game, which ranks 53rd in the nation.
Quarterback Play
Florida Atlantic’s Caden Veltkamp has faced challenges this season. He has eight touchdown passes and seven interceptions on the season. This inconsistency has hindered the team’s ability to execute their offense effectively.
Rice’s quarterback Chase Jenkins has attempted just 13.8 passes per game going into this contest. He isn’t asked to do a lot through the air. But Rice will still count on him to make plays in the passing game when needed.
Betting Trends & H2H
- Florida Atlantic: The Owls have struggled against the spread, with a 1–3 record this season. Their games have tended to go over the total points line, with the over hitting in three of their four games.
- Rice: The Owls have been more consistent, with a 3–2 record against the spread. Their games have gone over their totals three times in five games.
- Head-to-Head: In recent matchups, Rice has had the upper hand. They have won three of the last five meetings against Florida Atlantic.
Florida Atlantic vs Rice Model Projection
- Score Projection: Florida Atlantic 24 – Rice 31
- Win Probability: Florida Atlantic 40%, Rice 60%
Final Thoughts
Florida Atlantic’s problems on defense should continue in this game against Rice. In this battle of the Owls, I’ll go with Rice to cover the number in this matchup. Look for Rice to force mistakes from Veltkamp and for Rice to improve to 4-2 on the season and move to within two victories of bowl eligibility with half of the regular season left to play.
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