Pepperdine vs Rice 11/7/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds
Rice Owls (0-0) vs. Pepperdine Waves (0-0)
November 7, 2022 10:00 pm EDT
The Line: Pepperdine Waves -3 / Rice Owls +3 ; Over/Under: 148
(Get latest betting odds)
The Rice Owls and the Pepperdine Waves meet Monday in college basketball action from Firestone Fieldhouse. Rice managed to go 16-17 overall last season, ultimately falling in the First Round of the CBI. As for Pepperdine, they’re coming off a 7-25 overall run last year and a last-place finish in the West Coast Conference. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.
Rice had an up-and-down season in 2021-22, ultimately finishing below .500 at 16-17 overall. The Owls would land just two spots out of last place in the West Division in the Conference USA standings, just ahead of UTSA and Southern Miss.
The Owls were sitting at 14-9 in early February, but would end the regular season by losing six of seven games. Rice lost to North Texas in the quarterfinals of the conference tourney, then fell to Ohio in the first game of the CBI.
Over on the Pepperdine side, their 2021-22 campaign was a lost season. The Waves went just 7-25 overall and won just one of their 16 West Coast Conference matchups. That left Pepperdine in last place in the standings, two games below Loyola Marymount.
Pepperdine came out of non-conference play with some momentum after having won four of their final five games. Once the WCC games started however, the Waves would beat only Pacific. Pepperdine fell to San Diego in the first round of the conference tourney.
The Owls are 8-18 ATS in their last 26 road games and the under is 4-1 in their last five overall. The over is 4-1 in Pepperdine’s last five Monday games and 5-2 in their last seven overall.
PICK: I’m going to try Pepperdine. By most indications, the Waves should take a huge step forward this season after last year’s disastrous campaign. Pepperdine retains the trio of Mike Mitchell, Maxwell Lewis and Houston Mallette, each of whom should have a big hand in the team’s success this year. The major key this year will be fixing the interior defense; if Pepperdine can do that the team should see a big jump in the standings by season’s end.
