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The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (15-14, 7-11 C-USA) will hope to stop a five-game road skid when taking on the UTEP Miners (13-16, 6-12 C-USA) on Thursday, March 2, 2023 at Don Haskins Center, airing at 9:00 PM ET on ESPN+.
The Miners match up against the Hilltoppers in a game that UTEP is currently a moderate favorite by 3 points. The game has an over/under of 135.5.
UTEP vs. Western Kentucky Odds
Point Spread for UTEP vs. Western Kentucky
The spread for this matchup is set at 3 points, with bookmakers listing UTEP as the favorite.
UTEP vs. Western Kentucky Moneyline
As for the moneyline, UTEP has -157 odds to pick up the win, while Western Kentucky is listed at +134 to claim victory.
Over/Under
Finally, the total for the game is set at 135.5 points.
Game Time and How to Watch
- Game Day: Thursday, March 2, 2023
- Game Time: 9:00 PM ET
- TV Channel: ESPN+
- Location: El Paso, Texas
- Arena: Don Haskins Center
UTEP vs. Western Kentucky Betting Trends
UTEP has played 27 games, with 15 wins against the spread. The Miners have been favorites in 11 games this season and have come away with the win nine times (81.8%) in those contests. UTEP’s games this year have gone over the total in 16 out of 27 opportunities (59.3%).
Western Kentucky has played 27 games, with 11 wins, against the spread. The Hilltoppers are 2-8 in games they were the underdog on the moneyline (winning 20% of those games). Western Kentucky’s games this year have gone over the point total 15 times in 27 opportunities (55.6%).
UTEP vs. Western Kentucky Key Players to Watch
UTEP
Shamar Givance is tops on his team in assists per contest (4.1), and also posts 10.6 points and 3.7 rebounds. At the other end, he delivers 2 steals and 0.2 blocked shots. Calvin Solomon averages a team-best 6 rebounds per game. In addition, he’s averaging 9 points and 2 assists, shooting 46.5% from the field. Tae Hardy puts up a team-high 12.8 points per contest. He is also putting up 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists, shooting 43% from the floor and 30% from downtown with 1.3 made 3-pointers per game. Ze’Rik Onyema puts up 7.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Defensively, he delivers 0.6 steals and 0.5 blocked shots.
Western Kentucky
Jamarion Sharp is the Hilltoppers’ top rebounder (7.4 per game), and he delivers 7.2 points and 0.2 assists. Jairus Hamilton is posting 10.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, making 48.6% of his shots from the floor and 38% from beyond the arc, with 1.3 treys per game. The Hilltoppers get 10.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game from Emmanuel Akot.
What you need to know about the UTEP Miners
UTEP and its C-USA opponents have combined to go over the point total 10 out of 18 times this season. This season, the Miners are putting up 68.3 points per game (270th-ranked in college basketball) and surrendering 68.3 points per contest (128th-ranked). So far this year, UTEP is pulling down 31.7 rebounds per game (181st-ranked in college basketball) and ceding 29.8 rebounds per contest (98th-ranked).
The Miners are averaging 69.6 points per game when playing at home. Away from home, they are averaging 66.6 points per contest. When it comes to threes, UTEP is struggling, as it ranks second-worst in college basketball in threes made (4.6 per game) and -2-worst in three-point percentage (27.6%). With 6.8 three-pointers conceded per game, the Miners rank 126th in the country. They are ceding a 33.2% shooting percentage from downtown, which ranks 144th in college basketball.
Over their past 10 contests, the Miners have two wins against the spread, and are 2-8 overall. UTEP has hit the over in six of its last 10 games. In its last 10 games, UTEP has been scoring 64.6 points per game, an average that’s slightly lower than the 68.3 it has scored over the course of the 2022-23 season. The past 10 games have seen UTEP give up 3.8 more points per game (72.1) than its season-long average (68.3).
What you need to know about the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
A total of 11 Western Kentucky conference games this year have gone over the point total. On offense the Hilltoppers are the 139th-ranked squad in the country (73.3 points per game). Defensively they are 204th (70.8 points allowed per game). On the boards, Western Kentucky is 223rd in the nation in rebounds (31.1 per game). It is 297th in rebounds allowed (33 per game).
At home the Hilltoppers are scoring 77.1 points per game, 6.8 more than they are averaging on the road (70.3). Western Kentucky is 111th in the nation in 3-pointers made (8 per game) and 52nd in 3-point percentage (36.8%). The Hilltoppers are the ninth-worst team in college basketball in 3-pointers conceded (9.3 per game) and 310th in 3-point percentage defensively (36%).
The Hilltoppers have a 4-6 record against the spread while finishing 4-6 overall in their past 10 contests. In its past 10 contests, Western Kentucky has gone over the total seven times. Over its previous 10 games, Western Kentucky is tallying 72.8 points per contest, compared to its season average of 73.3. While the Hilltoppers are surrendering 70.8 points per game in 2022-23, they have been worse over their last 10 games, allowing 74.4 points per contest.
UTEP vs. Western Kentucky Prediction & Pick
Our prediction to win this matchup is UTEP, and we expect that Western Kentucky will cover the spread (UTEP -3). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going over the posted total of 135.5 points.
How to bet UTEP vs. Western Kentucky
You can bet on UTEP vs. Western Kentucky at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.
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