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Middle Tennessee vs UTEP 3/10/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

UTEP Miners (19-12) vs. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (22-9)
March 10, 2022 9:00 pm EDT
The Line: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders -3.5 / UTEP Miners +3.5; Over/Under: 135
(Get latest betting odds)

The UTEP Miners & Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders will square off at the Ford Center At The Star this Thursday night in the Quarterfinals of the C-USA Championship.

The 4-seed (West Division) UTEP Miners improved to 19-12 on the season after defeating the 5-seed (East Division) Old Dominion Monarchs, 74-64, this past Wednesday. UTEP was outstanding on both ends of the court on both ends of the court in the 1st half and had no trouble securing the victory after going into halftime with a 34-21 lead. UTEP shot 49.1% from the field & 39.1% from beyond the arc while holding Old Dominion to just 40.0% from the field & 13.3% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Miners was Sidney Boum who had 22 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, & 2 steals.

On the season, UTEP is averaging 69.0 ppg on 43.0% shooting from the field. The Miners are averaging 7.7 three-pointers per game on 35.5% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, UTEP has been led by Souley Boum (19.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.7 spg), Jamal Bieniemy (14.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.6 spg), Keonte Kennedy (13.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.9 apg, 2.1 spg), & Tydus Verhoeven (6.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.0 bpg).

Defensively, UTEP is allowing their opponents to an average of 66.6 ppg on 44.5% shooting from the field. The Miners have a rebound margin of -4.5 and a turnover margin of 3.4.

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders finished their regular season with an overall record of 22-9 and earned the 1-seed (East Division) in the C-USA Conference Championship after finishing conference play with a 13-5 conference record. Middle Tennessee finished their non-conference portion of their schedule with a 9-4 record with their best wins coming against Winthrop & Coastal Carolina. Middle Tennessee won 13 of 14 games at one point during conference play, however, the Blue Raiders struggled at the end of the regular season as they come into matchup losing their last two regulars season games to Charlotte & Old Dominion.

On the season, Middle Tennessee is averaging 73.9 ppg on 44.9% shooting from the field. The Blue Raiders are averaging 8.4 three-pointers per game on 33.1% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Middle Tennessee has been led by Josh Jefferson (14.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.2 spg), Donovan Sims (10.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.1 spg), Eli Lawrence (10.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.4 spg), Camryn Weston (8.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.2 spg), & Deandre Dishman (8.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.1 spg). Josh Jefferson missed the last two games due to a head injury and is currently questionable for this matchup.

Defensively, Middle Tennessee is holding their opponents to an average of 66.3 ppg on 42.0% shooting from the field. The Blue Raiders have a rebound margin of 1.2 and a turnover margin of 2.1.

The Miners are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win & 9-3 ATS in thier last 12 games overall. The Blue Raiders are 18-6-2 ATS in their last 26 games overall, however, are just 5-16 ATS in thie rlast 21 netural site games.

Middle Tennessee won their only regular season matchup against UTEP as the Blue Raiders defeated the Miners by a 77-59 margin in late February.

UTEP has been led by their defense which ranks 102nd in scoring defense & 22nd in turnover margin, however, the offense has struggled as the Miners come into this matchup ranked just 229th in scoring offense & 241st in FG%. Middle Tennessee has been solid on both ends of the court this season as they Blue Raiders come into this game ranked t-104th in scoring offense & 94th in scoring defense. MIddle Tennessee has had a great season, however, between the fact that we are not sure of the status of Josh Jefferson and that UTEP has looked solid as of late, which includes a 70-68 win over North Texas in their regular season finale, I’m taking UTEP and the points. Good Luck!

Brett Nault's Free Pick: UTEP Miners +3.5

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Brett Nault

Brett has been involved with sports his entire life, whether playing them or betting on them, and loves using his education in data analytics to break down all matchups to get you a competitive edge. Follow Brett Nault on Twitter @BrettCU05

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