UTEP (0-6) vs FIU (2-4)
Game Info: Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 9:00 pm (Sun Bowl)
The Line: Betting Odds: UTEP +6.5 / FIU -6.5 — Over/Under: 49.5
The Florida International Panthers and the UTEP Miners meet Wednesday in college football action from the Sun Bowl. Here’s an FIU vs UTEP prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best FIU vs UTEP pick. We will examine:
The Florida International Panthers’ recent form and player performance
The UTEP Miners’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Florida International Panthers
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the UTEP Miners
Recent betting trends in games played between FIU and UTEP
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the FIU vs UTEP game
Florida International Panthers Betting Preview
The Panthers started out their year with a loss to Indiana 31-7 and a 52-16 blowout win over Central Michigan. FIU went 1-3 over their next four games, beating Louisiana Tech 17-10 among losses to Florida Atlantic, Monmouth and Liberty.
In the Liberty game, the Panthers posted 14 fourth-quarter points to force overtime but still ended up losing 31-24 in the end. QB Keyone Jenkins bagged 245 passing yards and a pick, while Eric Rivers caught five balls for 95 yards to top the receivers.
UTEP Miners Betting Preview
Over on the UTEP side, they’ve had quite a difficult year so far. The Miners stumbled out of the gate with losses to Nebraska 40-7, Southern Utah 27-24 (OT), Liberty 28-10, Colorado State 27-17, and Sam Houston 41-21 over their first five outings.
Game six was another loss for UTEP, this time versus Western Kentucky. The Miners were down 27-7 by the break and stumbled to a 44-17 blowout result. QB Skyler Locklear threw for just 82 yards on 11 completions. Ezell Jolly led the rush on 27 carries for 119 yards. UTEP will face LA Tech and Middle Tennessee following this game.
Why the UTEP Miners will win
- Florida International has lost each of its last four October games as a favorite.
- The home team has won three of UTEP’s last four games.
- Florida International has failed to cover the spread in 11 of its last 12 games as a favorite against non-AP-ranked teams.
- UTEP has covered the spread in each of its last three games against Florida International.
Why the Florida International Panthers will win
- UTEP has lost each of its last eight games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- UTEP has failed to cover the spread in five of its last six games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Florida International has covered the spread in four of its last five road games in October.
Total Points Facts
- Eleven of UTEP’s last 13 games against non-AP-ranked teams at Sun Bowl have gone UNDER the total points line.
FIU vs UTEP Prediction
I’m going to stay with FIU. Probably not touching it, though. The Panthers weren’t horrendous on offense in their latest loss to Liberty, notching 344 total yards (245 passing) and 18 first downs. FIU would go just 4-of-13 on third-down tries though, and coughed up a pair of turnovers.
As for UTEP, they didn’t stand much of a chance versus a good WKU team in their last outing. The Miners gave up 482 yards (218 rushing) and 7.0 yards per play in the defeat, notching 330 yards (178 passing) and 18 first downs themselves. FIU should have some opportunities here if they can get their offense going, but I’m going to avoid this one.