Check out our free UTEP vs Western Kentucky pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Bowling Green. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.

UTEP vs Western Kentucky Pick & Preview: Saturday, February 4th Betting Odds

Miners vs Hilltoppers Matchup at a Glance

  • Sport: NCAAB
  • Teams: UTEP Miners at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
  • Where: Bowling Green at E. A. Diddle Arena
  • Date: Saturday, February 4th
  • Betting Odds: UTEP +2.5, UTEP +123 | WKENT -151 O/U 135.0

Miners Preview:

Coming into today’s matchup, the UTEP Miners are in the middle of a 3 game losing streak and have an overall record of 11-11. So far, the Miners have played 9 games on the road, with a record of 1-8. For the season, UTEP has been the underdog in 12 games, sitting with a mark of 2-10. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Miners being +2.5 point underdogs.

UTEP will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Tae Hardy who is averaging 13.0 points per game for the Miners. Hardy is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Miners’ offensive game plan is the play of Shamar Givance who has hit 39.3% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 10.09 points per game.

Offensive production has been hard to come by for UTEP this season, as they are currently ranked 275th in college basketball at 68.8 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Miners’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 35.2%, placing them 171st in the NCAA.

Hilltoppers Preview:

Through 23 games, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have an overall record of 12-11. Currently, the Hilltoppers have been the home team 12 times, sitting with a record of 7-5. The Hilltoppers’ are sitting with a betting line that is -2.5 points in their favor. For the season, Western Kentucky has been favored to win in 14 games, sitting with a mark of 8-6.

Western Kentucky’s leading scorer this season is Dayvion McKnight, who is averaging 16.61 points per contest. So far, McKnight has accounted for 22.72% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 5.17 rebounds per game and 3.87 assists. Jairus Hamilton is the second leading scorer for the Hilltoppers, averaging 10.3 points per game. Between him and Hamilton, they are accounting for 36.8% of the team’s scoring.

Western Kentucky comes into today’s matchup vs UTEP, looking to continue their strong offensive play, as they are averaging 75.4 points per game. Through 23 games, they have hit 46.7% of their field goal attempts. In terms of pace, the Hilltoppers have preferred to slow the game down, ranking 345th in possessions per game.

Free Spread Prediction: UTEP Miners +2.5

In today’s matchup, our analysis has identified the best bet as an opportunity to bet on a road underdog. Coming into the game, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are the betting favorite with a point spread set at -2.5. However, we anticipate UTEP putting up a strong fight and see them covering the spread. It is likely, the the public is going to side heavily with the Hilltoppers as the favorite. But, we see this line being set too high and like the value of taking the Miners to cover.