UAB and Rice will meet in an American Athletic Conference contest in college football on Saturday. Both teams are under the .500 mark for the season and could use a win in this game from Houston. The Owls are slight favorites as they look to get back to .500 with a win. Will Rice get that win and move to within a game of bowl eligibility? Find out by reading my UAB vs Rice prediction below.
Our UAB vs Rice Pick
- Pick: Rice -1.5
- Confidence: ★★★☆☆
Game Snapshot
| Matchup: | UAB Blazers vs Rice Owls |
| Date & Time: | Saturday, November 8, 2025, 2:00 p.m. ET |
| Venue: | Rice Stadium, Houston, TX |
| Broadcast: | ESPN+ |
Key Storylines
UAB comes into this game at 3-5 and 1-3 in American Athletic Conference play. The Blazers’ only win in conference play this season came against Memphis, who is one of the best teams in the AAC this year. But the Blazers came right back down to earth after that win by losing to UConn by 19 points on the road last week.
Rice has home-field advantage and has had success running the ball with standout back Quinton Jackson. He rushed for 168 yards and had 80 receiving yards for four total touchdowns in their win over UConn two games ago. Rice was blown out by Memphis the week after that and the Owls will try to bounce back after an idle week.
Both teams are running out of time to secure enough wins to make a bowl game. UAB needs three wins in four games to get there and Rice needs two wins in three games. A loss here would be devastating to the bowl hopes of the loser in this game.
Quarterback Play
Jalen Kitna has put up strong passing numbers for UAB this season. Opponents have found ways to pressure and constrain him at times. But he has 1,785 passing yards and 10 touchdown passes for the year. Chase Jenkins leads Rice’s option offense from the quarterback position. He only averages 14.1 pass attempts per game, as Rice’s game plan is typically to keep the ball on the ground.
Betting Trends & H2H
- Rice is 4-5 overall this season and 4-5 against the spread.
- UAB is 3-5 straight up and 3-5 against the spread as well.
- The over has won in five of UAB’s eight games this season.
- Rice has gone over the total in six of its first nine games.
UAB vs Rice Model Projection
Score Projection: UAB 21 – Rice 28
Win Probability: UAB 46%, Rice 54%
Final Thoughts
I’m taking the Rice Owls to win at home and cover the spread as a slight favorite. Neither of these teams are playing well this year, but the run-heavy offense of Rice should help them to control the clock and wear down a bad UAB defense. Look for this game to stay close for three quarters before Rice makes its move late against a tired UAB team.
