2023 Rice Owls Future Odds: Is J.T. Daniels the Answer for Rice?
Owls' Transition to American Athletic Conference Could Get Interesting
The Rice Owls technically missed a bowl appearance by one game last year after going 5-8 last NCAAF season. But due to the APR Ranking, the Owls made the LandingTree Bowl. The Owls lost that game and only finished 3-5 in the American Athletic Conference.
Rice will head into the 6th year of head coach Mike Bloomgren. He’s 16-39 in his career with Rice. But don’t get it twisted. Those five wins last year were the most by Bloomgren since taking over. Things are starting to develop for the Owls.
Rice has enough experience to earn six wins this season. That would help to recruit and help Rice earn sustained success moving forward.
However, Rice has shifted from the Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference. Competition is going to be more challenging. Therefore, while the team looks better on paper, the record might not be due to its NCAAF schedule.
Check out the Rice Owls future odds for the 2023 season.
Rice Owls At A Glance
| Odds to Win | Opening Odds | Current Odds |
| National Championship | +1000000 | +1000000 |
| Conference | +7000 | +7000 |
| Regular Season Win Total | 4.5 (o-115, u-110) | 4.5 (o-115, u-110) |
| To Make Playoffs (if applicable) | N/A | N/A |
Rice Relies On Offense
When the Owls scored at a consistent rate, the Owls were unstoppable. They went 4-0 when earning 430 or more yards and 1-8 when they didn’t.
With former Georgia, USC, and West Virginia quarterback J.T. Daniels at quarterback, Rice figures to have more success than previous years. Daniels was always a highly regarded prospect in college. But he never put together full seasons.
At the AAC level, he could seriously shine. However, he won’t have a Power-5 offensive line in front of him. He’ll need to be more decisive and make smart plays with the ball.
Daniels figures to have a receiver core of Bradley Rozner, Luke McCaffrey, and Jack Bradley at tight end. Daniels has targets. He needs time to deliver the ball to them.
Meanwhile, Dean Connors will likely start at running back. He had just 27 carries with 128 yards rushing last season. This season primarily lies on Daniels’ shoulders as the veteran quarterback.
Defense is Solid!
The Owls were in the middle of the Conference USA in defense last year. The pass rush wasn’t consistent, and they didn’t get enough third-down stops.
But Myron Morrison, Chris Conti, and Josh Pearcy are all back for another season with Rice. These three NCAAF players played a tremendous part in the defense last year. They’ll likely develop even more heading into this season.
A better pass rush would change a lot for this defense. It’s hard to tell if the pass rush will be any better against AAC competition this year.
National Championship Odds: Don’t Bother Betting Rice
Rice isn’t even projected to make a Bowl Game. Don’t even think about adding Rice to win the National Championship with those Rice Owls future odds.
The Owls will face Texas on the road in Week 1, September 2. Once the Owls lose that game, their chances at a College Football Playoff National Championship will be gone.
Rice fans should just be happy that J.T. Daniels transferred. He’ll need to keep turnovers down, but at least Rice will have a legitimate quarterback to make plays down the field this season.
Conference Odds: A Tough Transition Year
NCAAF expert picks don’t have Rice winning many games this year.
Rice will play against teams like Tulane, who knocked off USC in last year’s bowl season. The Owls are projected to finish second-to-last in the American Athletic Conference this season. Some of those conference games will have lopsided college football scores.
Rice will face Tulane, SMU, UTSA, Florida Atlantic. I don’t think they’ll win any of those games this year. That would end their hopes of winning a conference championship.
J.T. Daniels needs to play out of his mind. He must also build a significant connection with graduate receiver Bradley Rozner. It’s hard to imagine Rice earning major upsets this year.
Don’t bet on the Rice Owls future odds in the conference winner market. It’s not happening.
Regular Season Wins: J.T. Daniels With Fourth Team!
J.T. Daniels was a highly regarded prospect. I’m excited to watch him compete with Rice. But eventually, we have to accept that Daniels maybe isn’t as good as once projected.
He’s now with his fourth college football team and hasn’t made a name for himself on any of the first three. Sure, he’ll face easier competition, but he’s also playing with lower-level talent on his roster.
Rice will lose to Texas and Houston to begin the regular season. At 2-0, they’ll get passed, Texas Southern. I also think Rice has a chance against South Florida, even on the road.
At 2-2, Rice will face East Carolina at home. Rice could seriously earn an upset there. At 3-2, they’d face UConn, another legitimate game they probably should win.
Rice would be 4-2 and have another potential win against Tulsa on the schedule. At 5-2, Rice would take on Tulane, SMU and UTSA. Mark those down as losses.
But Rice is better on paper than Charlotte. They’d beat Charlotte and then lose the final regular season game to Florida Atlantic to finish the regular season.
That’s six wins for the Rice Owls and a bowl game. Take that Over 4.5 Rice Owls future odds win total with confidence.
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