UTEP (10-3) vs Sam Houston State (7-7)
January 4, 2025 at 09:00 PM EST
The Line: Betting Odds: UTEP -4.5 / Sam Houston State +4.5 — Over/Under: 146.5
The Sam Houston Bearkats are visiting the UTEP Miners on Saturday, January 4th at the Don Haskins Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Sam Houston Bearkats vs UTEP Miners Prediction. We will examine:
The UTEP Miners’ recent form and player performance
The Sam Houston Bearkats’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the UTEP Miners
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Sam Houston Bearkats
Recent betting trends in games played between Sam Houston Bearkatsand UTEP Miners
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Sam Houston Bearkats vs UTEP Miners game
UTEP Miners Preview
The UTEP Miners have an 11-3 record this season and are sitting in the 4th place in the USA. They are coming off a 70-60 win over Louisiana Tech. The Miners are 6-5 against the spread, and 5-5-1 in over/under while having an 8-0 home record.
Offensively, UTEP is averaging 74.5 points per game, which ranks 215th in the nation. Defensively, they are allowing 65.9 points per game (61st). The Miners shoot 47% from the field (100th) and 41% from beyond the arc, which is the 5th-best in the nation. The Miners shoot 70.1% from the free throw line (214th) and are grabbing 29.6 rebounds per game (357th).
Otis Frazier leads UTEP in scoring this season, with an average of 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and a team-high 3.1 assists, while Corey Camper adds 11.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists.
Sam Houston Bearkats Preview
The Sam Houston Bearkats have a 7-7 record this season and are sitting in the 8th place in the USA. Sam Houston is coming off a 71-75 loss in New Mexico State. The Bearkats are 3-8 against the spread, and 8-3 in over/under, while having a 2-6 road record.
Offensively, Sam Houston is averaging 81.2 points per game, which ranks 67th in the nation. Defensively, they are allowing 78.2 points per game (326th). The Bearkats shoot 47.1% from the field (97th) and 40.2% from beyond the arc, which is the 12th-best in the nation. The Bearkats shoot 68.9% from the free throw line (256th), and they are grabbing 36.5 rebounds per game (175th) while committing 12.6 turnovers per game (128th).
Lamar Wilkerson leads Sam Houston in scoring this season, with an average of 19.4 points and 3.2 rebounds, while Cameron Huefner adds 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Why the UTEP Miners will win
- UTEP has won each of its last nine games at Don Haskins Center.
- UTEP has won the first half in each of its last nine games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Why the Sam Houston State Bearkats will win
- Sam Houston State has won seven of its last eight night games against the Conference USA.
- Sam Houston State has won the first half in nine of its last 10 games against the Conference USA.
Sam Houston Bearkats vs UTEP Miners Prediction
UTEP is 4-2 in their last 6 meetings against Sam Houston, and 5-1 against the spread. Under is 3-0 in their last 3 meetings, and in their most recent meeting last season, UTEP won 65-63 on the road, covering the spread, as the game went under the point total. In this Sam Houston Bearkats vs UTEP Miners Prediction, UTEP is coming as a -4.5 home favorites. Sam Houston is better offensively, scoring 6.7 points more than UTEP, while UTEP is better defensively, allowing 12.3 points less. The Miners are winning by an average of 8.6 points this season, while the Bearkats are winning by an average of 1.9 points. The Miners have been undefeated at home this season, but are just 1-3 against the spread in their last 4 home games. The Bearkats are terrible on the road lately, with five consecutive losses, as they failed to cover in each of those five games. I expect the hosts to get the job done in this one, so take the UTEP Miners and lay the points at home.