Rice vs Charlotte Prediction: Early American Showdown For Owls and 49ers

Charlotte has started over under new head coach Tim Albin, and it's going to take a little while. The 49ers were rolled by App State, pushed by Bill Belichick's North Carolina team, and beat Monmouth in a shootout.

With road games against USF and Army next, this is a must-win, or it'll likely be a 1-5 start by mid-October.

Under new head coach Scott Abell, Rice has been ... good? It took down Louisiana on the road, wasn't completely awful in a loss to Houston, and beat Prairie View last week.

It's a fun team with an interesting style, but this starts a run of three road games in the next four, going to Navy next.

Rice vs Charlotte How To Watch

Thursday, September 18, 2025
Game Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte, NC
@PeteFiutak

Why Rice Will Win

Charlotte can't stop making mistakes. 

It gave it away seven times in the first three games, has just one takeaway, and has an issue with penalties. 

The bigger problem is a running game that's having a hard time getting moving, and a rougher time scoring when it gets a chance - the attack is awful in the red zone.

Rice's running game is solid, the passing attack is accurate on its midrange throws, and Charlotte doesn't have the defensive front to disrupt any of it.

Why Charlotte Will Win

Rice might complete 73% of its passes, and the ground game is effective, but it can't seem to convert third down tries. Even worse, it can't stop anyone from moving the chains.

The 49ers aren't that bad against the run, and Rice doesn't throw enough to matter. It's about holding up on the ten-ish times the Owls put the ball in the air.

For all the faults on the Charlotte defense, it'll have a bigger problem all season with teams that can press the 49er corners, and ...

Rice Will Run 50 Times, and Charlotte Has to Be Ready For It

Rice knows how to control the clock with its ground attack, keeping the ball for over 35 minutes per game. It also doesn't turn the ball over enough to matter.

Charlotte will give the ball away twice and won't hold up as the Owl offense starts to convert third downs early on to take control right away. Charlotte will keep it close, but won't get the key stop in the fourth quarter to pull this off.

Rice vs Charlotte Prediction, Betting Lines

Rice 23, Charlotte 20
Line: Rice -2.5, o/u: 42.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Must See Rating: 2

Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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