Southern Miss vs. Rice picks and best bets for LendingTree Bowl

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles and Rice Owls meet in the LendingTree Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium on Saturday in Mobile, Alabama. The game kicks off at 5:45 p.m. ET, and will air on ABC.

The Golden Eagles (6-6, 4-4 Sun Belt) had a big win over Tulane this season, but were otherwise up and down, with losses to Southern Alabama and Georgia State and victories over Louisiana and Texas State. They were able to keep it it very close with nearly every ranked team they faced this season.

The Owls (5-7, 3-5 CUSA) will appear in their first bowl since 2014 despite not reaching .500 this season. They lost four of their last five games and dealt with quarterback injuries all season.

Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: Southern Miss -6.5
Total: 45.5
Moneyline: Southern Miss -240, Rice +200

Opening line: Southern Miss -6
Opening total: 48.5

Key players that have opted-out, injuries for LendingTree Bowl

Southern Miss

None

Rice

QB Wiley Green (Injury)

QB T.J. McMahon (Injury)

WR Luke McCaffrey (Injury)

Weather

49 degrees, Cloudy, 3 MPH wind, 10% chance of rain

The Pick

Southern Miss -6.5

The Golden Eagles have matched up well against far better teams than Rice, who particularly struggled toward the end of the season. This win and spread should be an easy feat for Southern Mississippi.