Rice vs UTEP 2/5/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

The UTEP Miners and Rice Owls meet Saturday in college basketball action at the Tudor Fieldhouse. The UTEP Miners look to build on their five-game winning streak. The Rice Owls look for a win after winning six of their last nine games.

The UTEP Miners are averaging 69 points on 41.7 percent shooting and allowing 65 points on 43.4 percent shooting. Souley Boum is averaging 19.8 points and 3.4 rebounds, while Jamal Bieniemy is averaging 14.6 points and 3.6 rebounds. Keonte Kennedy is the third double-digit scorer and Jorell Staerfield is grabbing 2.3 rebounds. The UTEP Miners are shooting 35.1 percent from beyond the arc and 75.6 percent from the free throw line. The UTEP Miners are allowing 32.6 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 30.1 rebounds per game.

The Rice Owls are averaging 76.5 points on 46.5 percent shooting and allowing 73.6 points on 43.9 percent shooting. Carl Pierre is averaging 15.3 points and 4.3 rebounds, while Travis Evee is averaging 14.6 points and 3 assists. Quincy Qlivari is grabbing 5.8 rebounds and Max Fiedler is dishing 3 assists. The Rice Owls are shooting 37.9 percent from beyond the arc and 72.2 percent from the free throw line. The Rice Owls are allowing 31.8 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 33.9 rebounds per game.

The Miners are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 Saturday games and 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win. The Owls are 16-5-2 ATS in their last 23 home games and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS win. The over is 4-0 in Miners last 4 Saturday games. The underdog is 14-5 ATS in the last 19 meetings.

Not a ton of separation between these two teams, so you can make a case for either side. The main difference here is the Rice Owls win at home by an average of 12.1 points while shooting 49.1 percent from the field, and they’re also 6-2-1 against the spread at home. UTEP loses in the underdog role by an average of 7.1 points. I’ll lay the bucket with the home team.