The Rice Owls and the Stanford Cardinal will star in the first-ever NCAA online betting Sidney Cup, which is the brainchild of Chicago-born, Australia-bred, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Solomon Thomas.
- Date: Saturday, 26th August
- Time: 10:05 PM
- Venue: Allianz Stadium, Moore Park, Sydney, Australia
- Sportsbook online college football game odds:
Rice +30½ (-110) +5000
Stanford -30½ (-110) -12500
…But what does that have to do with the price of Rice in Australia?
Here’s the long and short of Rice’s schedule according to head coach David Bailiff, “We have the longest trip in the country to Australia and the shortest to UH [University of Houston].” Bailiff reached out to TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes – who opened his final season with the California Golden Bears in Australia versus Hawaii – to fill him on all things Aussie. For example, not ordering one of those famous giant beers, and how to play knifie-spoonie. More importantly, how to thwart that dastardly metric system. “We’re excited about going to Australia, but when they got over there and went to the practice field, they realized it was in meters,” Bailiff said. “They had to get that changed. We’ve made sure it’s going to be in yards.” And most important of all, compression pants. “When you come back, Coach Dykes said it took them three days before they could do anything and not to get frustrated. So, we’re using his experiences to build a better plan.” And a better plan is what Rice need if they want to beat the Cardinal this year.
The power of Chryst compels you
Stanford head coach David Shaw named Keller Chryst as the starting quarterback against the Owls. As NCAA online betting fans will remember, Chryst had to be carted off the gridiron after tearing his right knee ACL during the 2016 Sun Bowl against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Shaw was initially concerned that the injury took place in the Junior’s plant leg, but the QB has recovered ahead of schedule. Hey, do you think he healed himself? “He’s been able to drive off [his right leg] since Day 1,” Shaw said per the San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s shown us no signs of any issues at all physically, there are no limitations on him right now, so we feel good about him getting ready to go play in Sydney.” Chryst took over the starting QB spot from then-senior and now-who knows? Ryan Burns midway through the 2016 season, went 77 of 136 (56.6%) for 905 yards with 10 touchdowns and two picks in six starts – all of which Stanford won, including the aforementioned Sun Bowl. “I’m still shaking some rust, but that should come off soon,” Chryst said. Have you tried using white vinegar?
Focus on Keller Chryst as Stanford camp opens. https://t.co/ryG91aFOFQ via @tomgfitzgerald pic.twitter.com/7ZbawqcGtL
— Sporting Green (@SportingGreenSF) July 30, 2017
Elsewhere, linebacker Joey Alfieri left Sunday’s practice early and missed the second half of Tuesday’s practice with upper-body issues. However, Shaw didn’t consider the injury to be too serious. “We don’t think it’s that bad,” the coach said. “We just kept him out of contact for probably today and tomorrow.” Alfieri is expected to be one of the Cardinal’s leading tacklers this season. Hey, maybe Chryst can work some of his magic on him, too.