Who's Playing

Rice @ Florida International

Current Records: Rice 15-9; Florida International 13-12

What to Know

The Florida International Panthers and the Rice Owls are set to square off in a Conference USA matchup at 7 p.m. ET Feb. 11 at Ocean Bank Convocation Center. The Panthers will be strutting in after a win while Rice will be stumbling in from a loss.

It was a close one, but on Thursday Florida International sidestepped the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs for a 66-62 victory. Florida International got double-digit scores from four players: guard Denver Jones (21), guard Petar Krivokapic (12), forward Mohamed Sanogo (11), and guard Arturo Dean (10).

Meanwhile, Rice came up short against the Florida Atlantic Owls on Thursday, falling 90-81. Guard Mekhi Mason had a pretty forgettable game, finishing with only nine points on 4-for-10 shooting in his 33 minutes on the court.

Barring any buzzer beaters, Florida International is expected to win a tight contest Saturday. They might be worth taking a chance on against the spread as they are currently on a six-game streak of ATS wins.

The Panthers' win brought them up to 13-12 while Rice's defeat pulled them down to 15-9. Two stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Florida International ranks 24th in college basketball when it comes to steals per game, with nine on average. Less enviably, Rice has allowed their opponents an average of 7.6 steals per game, the 22nd most in college basketball. In other words, they will need to work extra hard to take care of the ball.

How To Watch

  • When: Saturday at 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: Ocean Bank Convocation Center -- Miami, Florida
  • TV: ESPN Plus
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Ticket Cost: $18.90

Odds

The Panthers are a 3-point favorite against the Owls, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Panthers as a 3.5-point favorite.

Over/Under: -108

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Series History

Florida International and Rice both have four wins in their last eight games.

  • Feb 19, 2022 - Florida International 80 vs. Rice 78
  • Mar 11, 2020 - Florida International 85 vs. Rice 76
  • Jan 11, 2020 - Rice 92 vs. Florida International 78
  • Feb 14, 2019 - Florida International 86 vs. Rice 65
  • Feb 24, 2018 - Florida International 67 vs. Rice 64
  • Jan 25, 2018 - Rice 73 vs. Florida International 64
  • Feb 09, 2017 - Rice 89 vs. Florida International 78
  • Feb 20, 2016 - Rice 86 vs. Florida International 70