College Football Week 1 Picks: Rice Owls vs. Texas A&M Aggies

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel is suspended for the first half of Saturday's game against the Rice Owls, which is important to consider when making your college football picks as the two teams meet up at Kyle Field.

Courtesy of SBR Forum, the Aggies are 27-point home favorites in the NCAA football odds, with the betting total sitting at 66.5 in the market.

Let's take a closer look at this non-conference matchup from a betting perspective, while offering up a prediction along the way. 

Rice Owls

The Rice Owls welcome back four players that gained 200-plus yards on the ground a season ago, including senior running back Charles Ross, who finished with 829 rushing yards.

College football handicappers will find that the Owls are 0-2 against the spread as road underdogs of 21.5 or more points since 2011. 

Texas A&M Aggies

The Texas A&M Aggies have won their last 15 meetings against the Rice Owls, while the program hasn't lost a non-conference game at home versus an in-state opponent since 1954.

Sports bettors will find that the Aggies are 7-0 against the spread in their last seven contests against Conference USA teams. 

Prediction

I'm going to recommend that readers back the Rice Owls, as they've covered the spread in six of their last seven games dating back to last season.

College Football Pick: Rice Owls +27

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