UTEP Miners vs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Picks and Prediction for Thursday February 26 2026
Use Code WWWC UTEP heads to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for a matchup with Middle Tennessee, trying to steady itself as the season winds down. The Miners come in at 10-17 overall and 6-10 in Conference USA, and they’ll be looking to keep this game from turning into their 11th league loss. Middle Tennessee enters at 13-14 overall and 7-9 in CUSA, setting up a meeting between two teams fighting to finish the season on a stronger note. Get involved in the action with our free college basketball picks.
UTEP vs. Middle Tennessee Game Information
- February 26, 2026
- 7:30pm EST
- Murphy Center
- ESPN+
Middle Tennessee Form & Recent Results
Middle Tennessee heads into this matchup riding a one-game winning streak, after losing three of their last five games. They most recently took care of business at home on Saturday with a 78–66 win over Delaware. Sean Smith paced the Blue Raiders with 18 points and added four assists, while Chris Loofe did the dirty work on the glass, pulling down 13 rebounds. Middle Tennessee also did a lot of the small things right in that game—knocking down 89% of their free throws, committing only five turnovers, winning the rebounding battle with 38 boards, and controlling the flow for most of the night as they held the lead for roughly 82% of the game.
Throughout the season so far, Kamari Lands has been their most consistent scoring threat, leading the team at 13.6 points per game, with Torey Alston close behind at 13.2. Alston has also been a key presence inside, topping the team in rebounding at 7.6 per contest, while Smith serves as the main facilitator, averaging 3.7 assists per game. Defensively, the Blue Raiders have been giving up points lately, allowing 80.4 points per game over their last five games, so tightening up on that end will be a focus. Still, they’ve generally been solid at home, owning a 9–4 record in their own arena and scoring 78.6 points per game there. Now, they’ll try to use that home-court comfort to pick up their eighth CUSA win of the season when they host the UTEP Miners on Thursday night.
UTEP Form & Recent Results
UTEP comes into this game in a bit of a rough patch, riding a two-game losing streak and having dropped three of their last five games overall. They ended up with a tight 67–63 loss to New Mexico State on Saturday in Las Cruces, and there were still some standout performances even in defeat. Jamal West Jr. carried a big chunk of the scoring load with 22 points, Kaseem Watson controlled the glass with 10 rebounds, and Caleb Blackwell helped keep the offense organized by handing out three assists. The Miners also did some things well statistically, especially at the free-throw line where they knocked down 85% of their attempts, and they were competitive for long stretches, holding the lead for about 26% of the game.
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Elijah Jones has been UTEP’s most consistent scoring option this season, leading the team at 14 points per game, with West Jr. right behind him at 13.9. West Jr. has also been their top rebounder, averaging 6.6 boards per game, while Tyreese Watson has been the main playmaker, pacing the Miners with 3.3 assists per game. Defensively, UTEP has been giving up 72.4 points per game over their last five games, and that same 72.4 points allowed shows up in their road numbers as well. The bigger concern is the overall road record, just 2–9 away from home, which suggests that even if the defense has been reasonably steady, they haven’t consistently done enough in hostile environments. If they want to go into Murfreesboro and beat Middle Tennessee, they’ll need to find a way to translate their better stretches of play into a full, complete performance on the road.
Key Stats
- UTEP’s Jamal West Jr. this season: 13.9 points, 6.6 rebounds per game
- Middle Tennessee’s Torey Alston this season: 13.2 points, 7.6 rebounds per game
Betting Odds & Market Overview:
- MTSU -6.5; O/U 140.5
UTEP vs. Middle Tennessee Picks and Prediction
Middle Tennessee is aiming to climb to eight wins in the CUSA standings, and they’ll be counting on UTEP’s struggles away from home to give them an extra edge. The Miners have managed just two road wins all season, which tells you how tough it’s been for them to find consistency outside of El Paso. To UTEP’s credit, the defense hasn’t been a complete disaster on the road, as they’ve had stretches where they’ve been competitive and kept games within reach. The bigger issue has been on the other side of the ball. Their offense hasn’t provided much support, and too often they’ve fallen behind because they can’t sustain drives or put enough points on the board. If UTEP wants to avoid a tenth road loss this season, they’re going to need one of their sharpest games of the year, especially offensively, because simply leaning on the defense likely won’t be enough. Final Score Prediction, Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders win but fail to cover the spread, 74-70.
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