College Football Baylor at Rice Free Picks

21st-ranked Baylor may have parted ways with former head coach Art Briles amidst one of the most sickening scandals in college football history, but the Bears have looked fantastic through two games. While the superior Big 12 playoff hopefuls almost assuredly won’t have any trouble moving to 3-0 by beating the winless Rice Owls on Friday night, what college football bettors everywhere need to know is whether or not the Bears will cover the spread as huge four-touchdown-plus road favorites. Let’s find out now.

A Closer Look At The College Football Baylor Bears at Rice Owls Free Picks

Baylor at Rice

When: Friday, September 16, 2016 at 8:00 PM ET Where: Rice Stadium TV: ESPN NCAA Odds: Baylor -30    

Bet The Baylor Bears at -30 Because…

The Baylor Bears are far superior to the Owls in all three phases of the game. Baylor (2-0 SU, 0-2 ATS) pounded SMU unmercifully in their overwhelming 40-13 Week 2 win over the Mustangs despite failing to cover the college football betting line as huge 33-point home favorites. Starting quarterback Seth Russell completed 26 of 47 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score following a 6-6 halftime tie. “Give it to SMU,” Russell said. “They were flying around on defense. They were giving us things we hadn’t really seen them do, and they have some really good players on their team. They’re going to do a great job in their conference. They’re going to be a tough team to beat.”

Bet The Rice Owls at +30 Because…

They’re getting 30 points and are playing at home. Rice (0-2 SU, 0-2 ATS) was on the wrong end of a humbling 31-14 loss against Army in Week 2 while never coming close to covering the college football betting line as a 9-point road dog. The Owls kicked off their 2016 campaign with a discouraging 46-14 loss at Western Kentucky. “Army is a good team,” Rice tight end Connor Cella said. “They came to play and we didn’t. Offensively, we did not have a good week of practice and you could see it on the field.”

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

I’m not real fond of high point spreads, but the fact of the matter is that I’ll be surprised if this game isn’t over by halftime. While Baylor is just 1-4 ATS in its last five games, the Bears are also 17-4 SU in their last 21 games. Conversely, Rice is just 1-6 SU and ATS in its last seven games and is completely overmatched in this Week 3 matchup. Don’t put a whole lot of thought into your pick on this mismatch. Simply bank on Baylor to get the win and ATS cover against the college football betting odds.

My Pick: Baylor 56 Rice 17