UTEP vs. Sam Houston odds, line, spread: 2023 college football picks, Week 9 predictions from proven model
The Sam Houston Bearkats seek their first win at the FBS level Wednesday night when they host the UTEP Miners in a Conference USA football showdown. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET from Elliott T. Bowers Stadium. The Bearkats (0-7, 0-4) remain winless in their first season at the FBS level after moving up from FCS, but three of their four conference losses have come by seven points or fewer and two have come in overtime. They will try again for that elusive first FBS victory against a UTEP (2-6, 1-3) team that needs to run the table to qualify for a bowl invitation.
The Bearkats are 3.5-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 36.5 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: 36.5 points
- UTEP vs. Sam Houston State money line: Sam Houston -171, UTEP +144
- 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
Whenever a program transitions to the FBS level from FCS, the obvious concern lies with whether the team has or can quickly acquire the overall talent level needed to be competitive. Those questions were answered right away in contests against upper-tier FBS programs that were much more competitive than most observers anticipated.
For instance, in Week 2 Sam Houston fell to high-powered Air Force just 13-3 as a two-touchdown underdog. The 13 points remain the fewest this season for a Falcons club that is now 7-0 and boasts the nation's top-ranked rushing attack at 306 yards per game. Sam Houston held the Falcons to 244 rushing yards and 258 total yards but could only muster 80 total offensive yards of its own.
The Bearkats also held undefeated Conference USA front-runner Liberty (7-0) to a season-low 21 points in a 21-16 Week 5 defeat. Sam Houston held the Flames scoreless in the second half and saw their potential game-winning drive come up just short when Liberty managed a goal-line stand as time expired. Sam Houston also allowed just 257 total yards in a 14-0 Week 1 loss to Big 12 newcomer BYU. See which team to pick here.
Why UTEP can cover
The last time the Miners went on the road in conference play, they had perhaps their top overall performance of the season in a 27-14 victory over Florida International two weeks ago. They came out focused and inspired and used creative play calling to score three consecutive touchdowns and build a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.
Although they mustered just two field goals the rest of the way, the defense turned back a spirited comeback effort from the Panthers by forcing a pair of turnovers and a loss of downs on the home team's final three possessions.
Last week, the Miners had trouble stopping dual-threat New Mexico State quarterback Diego Pavia, who accounted for all four of the Aggies' touchdowns. On the bright side, junior running back Deion Hankins had a strong game with 120 yards on 16 carries. 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 almost 60% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
