North Texas Mean Green vs. Rice Owls Picks and Prediction for Wednesday, February 4, 2026
It’s an AAC contest on the hardwood as a pair of programs looking for a win collide in the Lone Star State as the North Texas Mean Green take the trip to face the Rice Owls Wednesday night and we have you covered with our North Texas vs. Rice prediction. North Texas was dropped 72-68 at home by UAB Saturday in their previous contest, losing outright as a 1.5-point favorite. Rice was beaten 80-70 on the road by Charlotte Friday night, failing to cover the line as a 4.5-point underdog, in their previous contest. In the all-time series between the schools, the Mean Green own a 24-8 advantage and have won the last four meetings, including a 67-61 road win in the most recent meeting this season February 11, 2025. Read more about this North Texas vs. Rice prediction! Get our top NCAAB Betting Picks and increase your bankroll!
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Mean Green Look to Corral Owls for Fifth Straight Meeting
North Texas dropped their third straight and their fifth in the last seven games as they fell to UAB at home Saturday. The Mean Green fell to 12-10 overall and stand just 3-6 in AAC play as they try to beat Rice for the fifth straight time. Against UAB, North Texas led 7-2 early, trailed by as many as 11 in the first half and led by three at intermission. The Mean Green pushed to a six-point margin in the opening 90 seconds of the second half but couldn’t maintain that momentum. North Texas saw UAB take a 59-58 lead with 6:21 remaining and never got even the rest of the way. The Mean Green shot 41.4% from the field, including three of 17 from three-point range, and allowed the Blazers to shoot 50.9% from the field in the game. Je’Shawn Stevenson led the way for North Texas with 21 points in the loss.
The Mean Green puts up an average of 69.6 points per game on the season, which is 320th in the nation. North Texas hauls down 33.7 boards per contest and passes out 12.8 assists per game. The Mean Green is above average on the defensive end of the floor, ranking 22nd by allowing 65.7 points a night. North Texas is anchored by Je’Shawn Stevenson, who is leading the team with 17.3 points plus 3.2 rebounds and two steals per game on the year. Will McClendon (13 points) and David Terrell Jr. (13 points, 4.9 assists) are good scoring options. Dylan Arnett, Reece Robinson, Josiah Shackleford, Cole Franklin, Cahmai Crosby, Demarion Watson, Buddy Hammer Jr., EJ Horton and Curtis Stinson Jr. all have to contribute for the Mean Green to have success. North Texas is shooting 41.8% from the field as a team this season. The Mean Green hits six three-pointers a night while shooting 31.3% from beyond the arc, which is 318th in the nation. North Texas is below average at the free throw line as they shoot 68.9% as a team at the stripe, which is 291st in the country.
Key Injury Report for North Texas:
- Guard Will McClendon (undisclosed) is out.
- Forward Josiah Shackleford (undisclosed) is questionable.
Rice Hoping to Find Winning Ways
Rice fell for the seventh time in 10 games as they were beaten on the road by Charlotte in their previous contest Friday night. The Owls dropped to 9-13 overall and stand tied for 10th in the AAC with a 3-6 mark in conference action. Against UAB, Rice never led by more than one in the game, the last time at 25-24 with 5:24 to play in the first half before giving up a 13-5 run to trail 37-30 at intermission. The Owls got within two but couldn’t sustain a push as they trailed by as many as 17 en route to the loss. Rice shot 37.1% from the floor, including nine of 31 from beyond the arc, and allowed Charlotte to shoot 51.1% in the game, negating their 40-30 advantage on the glass. Nick Anderson led Rice with 18 points in the loss.
The Owls are putting up 74.3 points per game on the year so far, which is 240th in the nation. Rice is collecting 37.5 boards a night (94th) and is dishing out 12.2 assists per contest. The Owls are 201st in the nation in scoring defense as they give up 74.4 points a night. Trae Broadnax leads the Owls this season in scoring this season as he puts up an average of 15.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and three assists per game on the season. Nick Anderson (14.7 points) and Jalen Smith (12.2 points) are other secondary scoring options. Cam Carroll, Eternity Eguagie, Dallas Hobbs, Jimmy Oladokun Jr., Andrew Akuchie, Stephen Giwa, Bodey Howell and Jordan Williams are all looked at to contribute valuable minutes for the Owls. Rice is shooting 42.4% from the field this season, leaving them 317th in Division I. The Owls are averaging nine triples a night while shooting 36.5% from beyond the arc. Rice is sputtering at the charity stripe as they are hitting 69% of their attempts so far this season, leaving them 287th in Division I.
Key Injury Report for Rice:
- Guard Dallas Hobbs (undisclosed) is questionable.
- Guard Jordan Williams (undisclosed) is questionable.
North Texas vs. Rice Pick
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Sean Higgs | +1,855.00 |
| 2 |  Joe Duffy | +1,497.00 |
| 3 |  Ben Burns | +1,112.00 |
| 4 |  Ross Benjamin | +618.00 |
| 5 |  Bryan Power | +607.00 |
North Texas vs. Rice Spread Pick
- North Texas -1.5 (4 units)
This one is a matchup of a pair of AAC teams from the Lone Star State that have struggled to put games in the win column this season. North Texas has struggled offensively this season but they still have a winning record thanks to their defensive play. The Mean Green is 2-5 on the road but the Owls haven’t been overly successful at home on the year, posting a 5-6 mark as the hosts. Rice is below average on both ends of the floor and they have struggled against North Texas in recent meetings. The Owls are stuck in neutral here and that proves to be their undoing as North Texas gets the win here.
North Texas vs. Rice Over/Under Pick
- Under 134.5 (4 units)
North Texas has seen the under post a 14-6 mark in their 20 games with a posted total this season. The Mean Green rank 46th in defensive efficiency, 22nd in scoring defense, 70th in field goal percentage defense (41.8%), 10th in threes allowed (5.7) and 23rd in three-point defense (29.6%) on the year. North Texas takes the air out of the ball, ranking 321st in adjusted tempo with 64.5 possessions a night. Rice has seen the over post a 12-8 mark on the year. The Owls stand 240th in scoring offense, 317th in field goal percentage, 343rd in two-point shooting (46.7%) and 287th in free throw shooting on the year. Rice is 289th in tempo with 65.2 possessions a night. With Rice’s poor shooting, the Mean Green’s defense and a slow pace, this game ends up short of the number.
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