Louisiana Tech vs UTEP NCAA Football Betting Tips 10/26/2019

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Sun Bowl

Brandon Jones and the UTEP Miners host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Sun Bowl on Saturday, October 26, 2019. UTEP opens this game as 19.5-point dogs. The Bulldogs are 4-3-0 ATS and 4-3-0 when betting on the total. The Miners are 2-4-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-4-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs played the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and ended up getting the win by a score of 45-30. Running the show from under center for the Bulldogs was J'Mar Smith who went 14/21 with 325 yards passing and tossed 1 touchdown. He gave away 1 pick on the day. Justin Henderson led the team on the ground during the game. He had a long run of 30 yards and he tallied 2 TD's in the game. He rushed for 111 yards on 19 carries which means he ran for an average of 5.8 yards per carry. Malik Stanley was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 212 yards on 8 receptions. He averaged 26.5 yards per reception during the game. The Bulldogs ended up running the ball 40 times and racked up a total of 151 yards which had them averaging 3.8 yards per carry. For the game, the Bulldogs earned 19 first downs and they had 5 penalties for 48 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. In all, they finished with a total of 61 plays for 476 yards. In terms of defense, Louisiana Tech gave up 26 completions on 40 tries for a total of 327 yards, and a completion percentage of 65.0%. Against the run, the Bulldogs gave up 110 yards on 30 attempts which gave them an average of 3.7 yards per attempt allowed. For the game, they allowed a total of 437 yards and forced 4 takeaways.

The Bulldogs come into this matchup with a record of 6-1 for the 2019 season. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation averaging 35.6 points per game, putting them 29th in Division 1. As a team, they are averaging 184.7 yards on the ground per game which is 4th in the conference. For total yards, they currently sit at 1st in the conference and 25th in Division 1 with 3,306 yards. The Bulldogs have one of the middle tier defenses in Division 1, giving up 24 points per game putting them 4th in C-USA. When it comes to passing yards, the Bulldogs have conceded 2,013 yards. Teams are completing 63.1% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 6.6 yards per try. In terms of rushing yards, Louisiana Tech is allowing 151.4 yards per game which has them at 6th in C-USA and 61st in D-1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 3.9 yards per carry putting them 5th in the conference and 51st in D-1 overall. Overall, they have conceded 1,060 yards rushing through 7 contests.

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The last time they took the field, the UTEP Miners played the FIU Golden Panthers and were beaten 32-17. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Miners was Kai Locksley who went 7/12 with 117 yards passing and completed 1 touchdown. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. Kai Locksley led the team in rushing in the game. He had a long run of 16 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He ran for a total of 66 yards via 11 carries which meant he averaged 6.0 yards per run. Jacob Cowing was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 47 yards on 2 receptions. He notched an average of 23.5 yards per catch in the game. The Miners ran the ball 43 times and added 165 yards which had them averaging 3.8 yards per rushing attempt. In the game, they ran 64 plays which gave them a total of 316 yards. For the game, the Miners totaled 17 1st downs and they had a total of 10 penalties for 106 yards telling us that this team was extremely undisciplined. When it comes to their defensive performance, UTEP gave up 9 completions on 17 attempts for a total of 150 yards, and a completion percentage of 52.9%. On the ground, the Miners gave up 185 yards on 32 runs which is an average of 5.8 yards per run allowed. Overall, they allowed a total of 335 yards but went the whole game without forcing a turnover.

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The Miners step onto the field holding a record of 1-5. In discussing the offensive production, the Miners leave a lot to be desired in terms of scoring in D-1. UTEP needs to do more to make teams respect their running game by averaging 144.8 rushing yards per game, which has them at 88th in the country. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 869 yards rushing through 6 contests, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Miners average 301.2 yards per game overall ranking them 124th in D-1 and 12th in Conference USA. The Miners are giving up 33 points per game which puts them at 13th in the conference and 108th in D-1. In discussing points allowed, they have given up 198 total points. When talking about yards on the ground, they are conceding 189.3 yards per game which puts them at 96th in the nation and 11th in C-USA. For this season, they have allowed a total of 1,136 yards on the ground and 10.8 rushing TDs. Their passing defense is one of the mediocre groups in the nation. They are allowing 219 passing yards per game. For passing yards allowed per game, the Miners sit in 7th in C-USA.

Who will win tonight's Bulldogs/Miners college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Bulldogs -19.5

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