In the excitement surrounding the upcoming NCAAF season, it’s easy to forget that we have a few games played prior to the official opening week of the season. In what is sometimes referred to as Week 0, we have 4 games on tap this coming Saturday, all of which feature teams that you may not be totally familiar with. These are teams that get little to no play in the media, but who get the opportunity to have a little moment in the spotlight by being part of the opening slate of College Football betting action. These games are a great way to prepare for the season proper, and it can be argued that they are better viewing than the NFL preseason games set for the same day, simply because this batch of games is meaningful. Saturday night will see the Prairie View A&M Panthers of the FCS head into Houston, Texas to face a Rice Owls team looking to bounce back after a horrific season in 2017. You can catch this one online if you are a subscriber to ESPN+.

Prairie View A&M vs Rice NCAA Football Week 1 Lines & Preview

The honor of being the Dunlevie Family Head Football Coach gives me great pride. Thank you Elizabeth and Bruce Dunlevie for your commitment and love for this great University. Your generous contribution and support for this program means the world to us. We will make you proud. pic.twitter.com/ALpWFdG6tw

— Mike Bloomgren (@mbloom11) 22 de agosto de 2018

• When: Saturday, August 25 at 7 PM EST
• Where: Rice Stadium, Houston
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: TuneIn
• Live Stream: ESPN+
• NCAA Football Odds: TBA

Last Matchup

• Score: Prairie View A&M 44.00 / Rice 65.00
• Rush Yards: Prairie View A&M 179.00 / Rice 200.00
• Pass Attempts: Prairie View A&M 29.00 / Rice 32.00
• Completion Percentage: Prairie View A&M 62.07 / Rice 71.88
• Passing Yards: Prairie View A&M 278.00 / Rice 434.00
• Total Yards: Prairie View A&M 457 / Rice 634
• Turnovers: Prairie View A&M 2.00 / Rice 0.00

Western Kentucky vs Wisconsin NCAA Football Week 1 Spread

Why bet on the Prairie View A&M Panthers?

When you look for information on the Panthers, the first thing that you come across is the losing record that they attained back in the late 80’s and 90’s. Over a 10-year period, this team somehow managed to lose 80 games in a row, a college football record that may well last forever. This version of the Panthers is a long way from that one, though, as things have been looking up for them of late. They opened a brand new stadium a few years ago and are coming off a winning 6-5 season in 2017. They showed some real grit last year, as their season opened with back to back losses, and you have to feel that they also may be in trouble here, as it’s not very often than an FCS team goes on the road to an FBS destination and comes away with the win.

Why bet on the Rice Owls?

Rice play in the Conference USA West Division and spent last season as the whipping boy, winning just one game over the course of the season. They started out their year by getting pummeled by Stanford, which was no real surprise, but it looked as though they might be okay after beating UTEP in Week 2. That did not prove to be the case, though, as the Owls went on to lose all their remaining games, many of which they gave up in blowout fashion. The fact that they have given themselves a much easier opening game this season suggests that they are looking to get an early win that might help build some confidence in a group that sorely needs it after the pounding they took last season.

Florida Atlantic vs Oklahoma College Football Week 1 Lines & Pick

Latest NCAA Football Betting Trends

• Prairie View is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
• Rice is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
• Rice is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone OVER in 7 of Rice’s last 9 games at home

Prairie View A&M vs Rice  Pick and Series Prediction

These games are always tough to pick, as there is very little to go on when looking at some of these FCS teams. You would have to think that Rice should get the win at home, but I’m not so sure we are looking at a total blowout. Score: Prairie View A&M Panthers 7 – Rice Owls 27