The Sam Houston State Bearkats (4-1, 1-0 C-USA) will be trying to pick up their second road win of the season when they face the UTEP Miners (0-4, 0-1 C-USA) on Thursday night. The game will be played at Sun Bowl, and it is scheduled to begin at 9 PM. ET.
The Bearkats are coming off a 40-39 win over Texas State as 10.5-point favorites. The Miners are coming off a 27-17 loss to Colorado State as nine-point underdogs.
UTEP is 2-0 in two games against Sam Houston State. The Miners won last season’s meeting 37-34.
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Sam Houston State Going For Fourth Consecutive Win
The Bearkats have been on a roll since they lost to UCF, picking up consecutive wins over Hawaii, New Mexico, and Texas State. They needed a big second-half rally to get past the Bobcats in their last game and will try to avoid putting themselves in a similar situation as they try to pick up their fourth straight win on Thursday night.
Sam Houston State is averaging 30 points per game. They are throwing for 162 yards and rushing for 216 yards per game, which ranks 33rd in the nation.
Hunter Watson completed 53 percent of his passes for 95 yards in the win over the Bobcats. He also had 27 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Jay Ducker had 14 carries for 69 yards and three touchdowns, while DJ McKinney had two catches for 22 yards.
Sam Houston State has been average defensively, giving up 24.4 points per game and 341 yards per game (50th). They gave up 39 points in their last game and will have to do a better job if they want to get the win.
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UTEP Trying To Snap Four-Game Losing Streak
The Miners are off to a poor start this season after losses to Nebraska, Southern Utah, Liberty, and Colorado State in their first four games. They will try to put an end to the streak with a win over the Bearkats, which will be their first win of the season.
UTEP is averaging 14.5 points per game. They are throwing for 242 yards and rushing for 79.8 yards per game.
Skyler Locklear completed 47 percent of his passes for 56 yards and one interception before he was benched in favor of Cade McConnell, who completed 66 percent of his passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. Jevon Jackson had 10 carries for 35 yards, while Kenny Odom had seven catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns.
UTEP hasn’t played well defensively, giving up 30.5 points per game and 413.2 yards per contest (105th). They gave up 27 points in their last game and will have to play better if they want to win this game. The key will be the run defense, which allows 223.5 yards per game (128th), going up against a strong SHU running attack.
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Best Bets for Sam Houston State vs. UTEP
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
The Bearkats have won four of their five games while the Miners have lost four straight games. Sam Houston State has done a better job on the offensive end and they have the edge in this game because their running game is one of the best in the country the Miners have been unable to slow down the run this season, giving up more than 210 yards per game on the ground, so expect the Bearkats to run the ball down their throats in this game. The Miners don’t run the ball well, but they’ve been able to throw it. Unfortunately for them, the Bearkats have a very good pass defense, and they don’t have to worry about the Miners beating them on the ground, so expect them to keep pressure on UTEP’s quarterback and force him to make costly mistakes. Go with Sam Houston State to cover the spread.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
The Bearkats played under the total in three of their last four games while the Miners played under the total in two of their last three games. The Bearkats like to run the ball on the ground and they will pick up yards against the Miners, who don’t have a good run defense, but the process will also use up a lot of the game clock. The Miners throw the ball well, but they won’t be able to pick up a lot of yards against the Bearkats, who have the 57th-best pass defense in the country. With the team scoring less than 15 points per game, don’t expect them to score enough points to push the score over the total.
