2023 First Responder Bowl Betting Lines - Texas State vs. Rice Odds

First Responder Bowl Lines - Texas State vs. Rice Odds

Rice will make its 14th bowl appearance in school history when the Owls face Texas State in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl set for Dec. 26 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren and his assistants are now the third Rice coaching staff in 110 years of Owls football to lead the team to two consecutive bowl games. With the game being in close proximity to both fanbases, Bloomgren said having a great turnout of Rice fans in Dallas could make a notable difference.

2023 First Responder Bowl at a Glance

Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Time (ET) / TV: 5:30 PM / ESPN

Venue: Gerald J Ford Stadium, Dallas, Texas

Matchup: Texas State Bobcats vs. Rice Owls

College Football Betting Lines

Texas State Bobcats -4

Rice Owls +4

Total: 60.5

Money Line: Texas State -181, Rice +156

First Responder Bowl Preview

Last game, the Rice Owls won 24-21 against the FAU Owls as 4-point home favorites. The game went under the total of 48. Rice has a record of 6-6 straight up, 8-4 against the spread, and 6-6 over/under the total. Rice ranks 73rd for total offense, 39th for passing, 114th for rushing and 49th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 57th overall, 54th against the pass, 70th against the rush, and 69th for points allowed. Also, Rice ranks 94th for fewest turnovers lost and 130th for takeaways.

Last game, Texas State won 52-44 against the South Alabama Jaguars as 6-point home dogs. The game went over the total of 58. Texas State has a record of 7-5 straight up, 6-6 against the spread, and 6-6 over/under the total. Texas State ranks 10th for total offense, 23rd for passing, 23rd for rushing and 17th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 106th overall, 119th against the pass, 80th against the rush, and 118th for points allowed. Also, Texas State ranks 132nd for fewest turnovers lost and 118th for takeaways.

First Responder Bowl Prediction

In this situation, Texas State brings one of the best offenses in the country.

First Responder Bowl Format

The First Responder Bowl, formerly known as the Heart of Dallas Bowl, began in 2011, and the matchup has conference tie-ins with the ACC, AAC, Big 12, and CUSA. The game occurs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas.

First Responder Bowl Past Results

In the first eight First Responder Bowls, the winning team scored 30-plus points and eclipsed 40 or more in three of them. In 2017, Utah cruised past West Virginia 30-14. It was the fifth consecutive bowl win for the Utes and the 14th victory in the past 15 bowl appearances since 1999. The 2018 installment between Boise State and Boston College was canceled because of the threat of severe weather.

Western Kentucky -3 rallied past Western Michigan for a 23-20 win in the 2019 edition, and bettors wagering on either side likely earned a push while the 'under' (56) was never in doubt.

In 2020, a heavily-favored Louisiana posted a 31-24 victory, but UTSA grabbed the cover as a 14-point underdog as the total ended up a push at most books. Louisiana used its bowl win as a springboard to the 2021 Sun Belt Conference championship. And Ragin Cajun head coach Billy Napier was rewarded for building Louisiana into a consistent winner by getting the Florida Gators job. Meanwhile, UTSA won the 2021 CUSA championship in the greatest season in program history. In the 2020 First Responder Bowl, Louisiana running back Elijah Mitchell won Most Valuable Player honors. Mitchell ran for 127 yards and a touchdown while catching two passes for 45 yards.

The game went off on Dec. 28, 2021, despite the COVID-19 global pandemic, and Air Force -1 posted an impressive 31-28 win over Louisville, a Power 5 team, after using a surprising blend of passing and rushing. Normally, the Falcons are a heavy ground-based attack. The favorite cashed for the first time since Utah's victory in 2017.

The most lopsided game in this bowl’s history was Oklahoma State’s 58-14 beatdown of Purdue at the end of the 2012 season. The Cowboys were 16-point favorites per the college football betting odds, and they had no trouble covering the number. They were up 45-0 before taking their foot off the gas pedal, allowing the Boilermakers to score a pair of consolation touchdowns.

In 2022, Memphis routed Utah State 38-10. MVP QB Seth Henigan of Memphis passed for 284 yards and three TDs.

2023-24 College Football Bowl Games

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