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The No. 8 seed Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (16-15, 8-12 C-USA) are squaring off against the No. 9 seed UTEP Miners (14-17, 7-13 C-USA) in C-USA Tournament on Wednesday at Ford Center at The Star. The game is scheduled for 6:30 PM.
Wednesday’s matchup between the Hilltoppers and the Miners features the Hilltoppers as 2.5-point favorites. The game’s over/under is 132.5.
Western Kentucky vs. UTEP Odds
Point Spread for Western Kentucky vs. UTEP
The spread for this matchup is set at 2.5 points, with oddsmakers listing Western Kentucky as the favorite.
Western Kentucky vs. UTEP Moneyline
As for the moneyline, Western Kentucky has -145 odds to pick up the win, while UTEP is listed at +122 to claim victory.
Over/Under
Finally, the over/under for the game is set at 132.5 points.
Game Time and How to Watch
- Game Day: Wednesday, March 8, 2023
- Game Time: 6:30 PM ET
- TV Channel: ESPN+
- Location: Frisco, Texas
- Arena: Ford Center at The Star
Western Kentucky vs. UTEP Betting Trends
Western Kentucky is 12-16-1 against the spread this season. The Hilltoppers have won in 11, or 64.7%, of the 17 contests they have been named as odds-on favorites in this year. Western Kentucky’s games this year have hit the over on 16 of 29 set point totals.
UTEP is 16-13-0 against the spread this year. The Miners have compiled a 2-14 record in games they were the underdog on the moneyline (winning 12.5% of those games). UTEP’s games this season have eclipsed the over/under 18 times in 29 opportunities (62.1%).
Western Kentucky vs. UTEP Key Players to Watch
Western Kentucky
Jamarion Sharp is tops on his squad in rebounds per game (7.5), and also puts up 7.3 points and 0.2 assists. At the other end, he posts 1 steal and 4.2 blocked shots (first in college basketball). Jairus Hamilton posts 9.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Defensively, he posts 0.7 steals and 0.1 blocked shots. Emmanuel Akot puts up 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 41.3% from the floor and 31.4% from downtown with 1.1 made 3-pointers per contest.
UTEP
Shamar Givance is the Miners’ top assist man (4.3 per game), and he puts up 10.8 points and 3.8 rebounds. Calvin Solomon is posting a team-best 5.9 rebounds per game. And he is contributing 9.4 points and 2.1 assists, making 46% of his shots from the field. Tae Hardy is the Miners’ top scorer (12.7 points per game) and assist man (1.8), and puts up 2.7 rebounds. The Miners receive 7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game from Ze’Rik Onyema.
What you need to know about the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky is 9-10-1 ATS in conference play this season. On offense, the Hilltoppers are putting up 72 points per game (177th-ranked in college basketball). They are giving up 70.6 points per contest at the other end (194th-ranked). So far this season, Western Kentucky is grabbing 31 boards per game (231st-ranked in college basketball) and giving up 32.7 rebounds per contest (287th-ranked).
With 7.6 threes per game, Western Kentucky ranks 158th in the country. It owns a 36.5% shooting percentage from downtown, which ranks 62nd in college basketball. The Hilltoppers are ceding 9.4 threes per game (third-worst in college basketball), and they are allowing a 36.2% three-point percentage (317th-ranked) to opposing teams.
The Hilltoppers have a 5-5 record against the spread while going 5-5 overall over their past 10 games. In its past 10 games, Western Kentucky has hit the over six times. Western Kentucky’s offense has been less productive over its last 10 games, scoring 69.4 points a contest compared to the 72 it has averaged this year. Western Kentucky has been less stingy on defense as of late, allowing 72.6 points per game during its last 10 outings compared to the 70.6 points per game its opponents are averaging in the 2022-23 season.
What you need to know about the UTEP Miners
UTEP and its opponents have combined to go over the point total 12 out of 20 times this year in C-USA play. In 2022-23, the Miners are 264th in the nation on offense (68.5 points scored per game) and 127th defensively (68.4 points conceded). UTEP is 202nd in the country in rebounds per game (31.4) and 94th in rebounds allowed (29.7).
Beyond the arc, UTEP is sixth-worst in the country in 3-pointers made per game (4.9). And it is worst in 3-point percentage at 29.2%. The Miners are 113th in the country in 3-pointers allowed (6.7 per game) and 139th in 3-point percentage defensively (33.2%).
The Miners are 3-7 against the spread and 3-7 overall in their last 10 contests. UTEP has gone over the total in eight of its past 10 games. While UTEP is posting 68.5 points per game in 2022-23, it has improved that mark over its previous 10 games, tallying 69 a contest. The Miners are allowing 74 points per contest over their last 10 games, which is 5.6 more points than they are allowing for the season (68.4).
Western Kentucky vs. UTEP Prediction & Pick
Our prediction to win this matchup is Western Kentucky, and we project that UTEP will cover the spread (Western Kentucky -2.5). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going over the posted total of 132.5 points.
How to bet Western Kentucky vs. UTEP
You can bet on Western Kentucky vs. UTEP 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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