The Longhorns begin the season ranked fourth in the USA Today college football poll and they are laying 29 points on the college football betting line as they open the season at Rice.
ESPN will be televising this game on Saturday, September 4th and most gamblers will be looking to bet Texas in college football lines at the Sbg Sportsbook. College football betting line action is almost always on the marquee teams, especially when they are on TV. Really, is the average bettor going to take Rice in this game? It doesn’t seem likely does it?
Can Texas Cover the College Football Lines? The Longhorns are almost assuredly going to win the game. The question is whether they can win by more than four touchdowns. The new quarterback at Texas is Garrett Gilbert and he has a ton of talent but not a lot of experience.
He should get some help from Tre’ Newton who averaged almost five yards per carry last year. The Texas defense is loaded with talent led by Sam Acho who had 10 sacks last year. Teams don’t run against Texas because Kheeston Randall is in the middle.
They may not be able to throw it much either with Aaron Williams in the secondary. Texas is simply far more talented than Rice and they should be able to name the score.
Is there any Chance for Rice in this Game? Rice went from 10-3 in 2008 to 2-10 last seasons. What happened? The offense was terrible last year as they averaged just 18 points per game. They should be better this year with more experience.
The Owls also get Michigan transfer Sam McGuffie who is eligible this year so their running game is going to be better. Too bad he has to run against the Texas defense. There is some hope for the Rice offense but the defense is sorry. They were the worst in the country last season. They may be better in 2010 but they are not going to stop Texas.
Texas in the First Half: Your best bet in this one is probably to take Texas in the first half. Rice is simply not very good and while the Texas starters are on the field they are going to be overmatched. Late in the game the Owls could get into the end zone.
You might just want to take Texas in the first half and then consider a halftime bet on the Longhorns if they are not winning big.