The UTEP Miners hope to take a step toward salvaging their disappointing season when they visit the Sam Houston Bearkats in a prime-time Conference USA football game Wednesday night. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. ET from Elliott T. Bowers Stadium. The Miners (2-6, 1-3) were projected to be an upper-tier C-USA team, but instead have seen five of their six losses come by at least 14 points and are coming off a 28-7 home loss to New Mexico State last week. The Bearkats (0-7, 0-4) are seeking their first victory of the season and for the program at the FBS level following a 33-27 overtime loss to FIU.
The Bearkats are 3.5-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 37 in the latest SportsLine consensus UTEP vs. Sam Houston odds. Before making any Sam Houston vs. UTEP picks, be sure to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer simulation model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UTEP vs. Sam Houston and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several college football odds and trends for Sam Houston vs. UTEP:
- UTEP vs. Sam Houston: Sam Houston -3.5
- UTEP vs. Sam Houston State over/under: 37 points
- UTEP vs. Sam Houston State money line: Sam Houston -173, UTEP +146
- UTEP: The Miners have gone Under their game total in eight of their past 12 games.
- SHU: The Bearkats are 0-1 against the spread as a betting favorite this season.
- UTEP vs. Sam Houston picks: See picks at SportsLine
- UTEP vs. Sam Houston live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Sam Houston can cover
Although consistent offensive production has been a challenge for a Sam Houston team that is averaging just 13.4 points per game, the Bearkats are finding some success with a passing game that appears to be improving with each week.
Senior quarterback Keegan Shoemaker is coming off a season-high 306 passing yards last week, just the second time in his career that the signal-caller has eclipsed the 300-yard mark. Shoemaker had only attempted 40 or more passes three times prior to this season but has done so in each of the past three games. He has thrown for six touchdowns and two interceptions in that span.
Junior Noah Smith has emerged as a potent and reliable threat on the outside. He grabbed nine catches for 91 yards and a touchdown against Florida International and added some explosive plays in the running game. He had three carries for 40 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown run in overtime. See which team to pick here.
Why UTEP can cover
This matchup presents a pressurized spot for a UTEP club that has failed to meet expectations thus far. The Miners can only reach a bowl game by winning their last four regular-season contests and, with dates against Western Kentucky and Liberty in store, this appears unlikely.
Before the season, coach Dana Dimel said this was by far the best team he's had at UTEP and expected to take a step forward from last year's five-win campaign and earn a bowl invitation. The coach is aware that a rough season-ending stretch could spell the end of his time with the program.
Even so, the Miners will have something to build on if they can muster a second consecutive conference road victory. The first half they played against Florida International two weeks ago was their best stretch of the season and will attempt to duplicate that effort. "We've put ourselves with our backs against the wall, needing four wins in a row. But if you look at it like that it becomes a little all-consuming, so you don't want to have that right now as you try to get yourself back on track," Dimel told the media this week. See which team to pick here.
How to make Sam Houston vs. UTEP picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the point total. The model also says one side of the spread hits in 60% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins UTEP vs. Sam Houston, and which side of the spread hits in 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has notched a profit of $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
