| MATCHUP | Delaware Blue Hens | UTEP Miners |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 6-14 | 7-14 |
| Where | Don Haskins Center, El Paso, TX | |
| When | Saturday, January 31, 2026 | |
| Time | 09:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
The Delaware Blue Hens and the UTEP Miners meet Saturday in college basketball action from Don Haskins Center in El Paso. Here’s a Delaware vs UTEP prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Delaware vs UTEP pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.
Delaware Blue Hens Betting Preview
The Hens posted a 4-7 run over their first 11 games this year, beating only Saint Peter’s, UNC Greensboro, George Washington and Rider. A rough 1-7 run came over the next eight games with losses to Missouri State, Jacksonville State, Sam Houston, LA Tech, UTEP, New Mexico State and Liberty (with a win over Kennesaw State). That would make for a 5-14 record in the first 19 games for the Hens.
On Wednesday versus New Mexico State, Delaware got off to a good start and took a 34-24 advantage into the locker room. The Hens were outscored by a point in the second half 40-39 but ended up powering out the win on the road in the end 73-64. Christian Bliss led the charge on 23 points with six rebounds and four assists while Justyn Fernandez added 13 points with five rebounds and four assists.
UTEP Miners Betting Preview
Over on the UTEP side, they could only win four of their first 11 games this year in a pretty rough start. The Miners would then fall to LA Tech, Missouri State and Florida International before a 3-3 stretch over the next six games. Those wins were over Middle Tennessee, Delaware and Florida International. Over the first 20 games of the year that would give the Miners a 7-13 record.
Matched up against Louisiana Tech on Wednesday the Miners were down by nine points as the second half began. UTEP didn’t end up getting any closer than that on a 33-32 run from there and lost the game at home 69-59. Elijah Jones led the way in the defeat with 25 points and four boards while Kaseem Watson had 20 points. Jamal West doubled up on 10 points and 11 rebounds as well.
Delaware Blue Hens @ UTEP Miners Betting Trends: January 31, 2026
Why the UTEP Miners will win
- Delaware has lost five of its last six games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- UTEP has won three of its last four night games.
Why the Delaware Blue Hens will win
- UTEP has lost each of its last seven Saturday games against Conference opponents.
Delaware vs UTEP Prediction
I’ll stick with Delaware. This one’s a coin flip though. The Hens played a pretty good game this week on the road versus a middling New Mexico State team. Delaware shot a nice 53.2 percent from the field in that one with a 30-18 advantage on points in the paint and a stellar 15-of-15 from the line. The Hens had lost five straight games prior to that though, failing to hit 70 points in any of those defeats.
These teams last met up on January 15 in a 70-69 home loss for Delaware. In that one the Hens shot a tepid 40.7 percent from the field with a 34-24 deficit in the paint. The Hens gave up 46.7 percent shooting on the other side, but overall they didn’t play too badly outside of that. Delaware needs to shoot a little better in the road rematch but I think they’ve got a solid shot.