Nevada at UTEP College Football Betting Tips and Predictions 9/21/2019

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Sun Bowl

Brandon Jones and the UTEP Miners play the Nevada Wolf Pack at Sun Bowl on Saturday, September 21, 2019. Nevada opens this game as 14-point favorites. The total is set at 57.5. The Wolf Pack are 1-2-0 ATS and 2-1-0 when betting on the total. The Miners are 1-1-0 when wagering on the over/under and 0-2-0 against the spread.

Key Nevada Wolf Pack Injuries

08/13/19 RB Devonte Lee Knee is out indefinitely
08/04/19 QB Cristian Solano Hand is out indefinitely

Key UTEP Miners Injuries

08/26/19 RB Quadraiz Wadley Toe is out for season

The last time they took the field, the Nevada Wolf Pack faced the Weber State Wildcats and won by a score of 19-13. Toa Taua led the team on the ground for that game. He tore off a long run of 17 yards but he wasn't able to run one in for a touchdown. He rushed for 85 yards on 16 carries which had him averaging 5.3 yards per run. Kaleb Fossum was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 77 yards on 5 receptions. He notched an average of 15.4 yards per catch for that game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Wolf Pack was Carson Strong who went 30/44 with 299 yards through the air but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He gave away 2 interceptions during the game. The Nevada Wolf Pack ended up running the ball 41 times and generated 154 yards which gave them an average of 3.8 yards per rushing attempt. In all, they ran 86 plays for 454 yards. Overall, the Wolf Pack racked up a total of 25 1st downs and they had a total of 8 penalties for 70 yards which shows us that this team didn't have their heads in this game. When it comes to their defensive performance, Nevada allowed 7 catches on 22 tries for a total of 63 yards, and a completion percentage of 31.8%. Overall, they conceded a total of 138 yards and earned 1 takeaway. In the running game, the Wolf Pack allowed 75 yards on 26 carries which means they allowed 2.9 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

The Wolf Pack head into this game 2-1 for this season. They are one of lowest scoring teams in the nation with an average of 19.7 points per contest, putting them 112th in D-1. As a unit, they are averaging 115.3 rushing yards per game which is 11th in the MWC. For total yards, they currently sit at 6th in the MWC and 86th in D-1 with 1,050 yards. The Wolf Pack have one of the most lackluster defenses in the country, giving up 40.3 points per game which has them at 11th in the Mountain West. In discussing yards on the ground, Nevada is allowing 130.7 yards per game ranking them 5th in the Mountain West and 56th in the country. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.2 yards per rush which has them at 10th in the Mountain West and 86th in D-1 overall. In total, they have conceded 392 rushing yards through 3 games. When it comes to passing yards, the Wolf Pack have allowed 704 yards. Teams are completing 62.4% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 8.2 yards per attempt.

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In their last outing, the UTEP Miners played the Texas Tech Red Raiders and lost 38-3. Treyvon Hughes paced the team on the ground for the game. He tore off a long run of 7 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He ran for a total of 27 yards on 10 carries which meant he was running for 2.7 yards per tote. Devaughn Cooper was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 26 yards on 2 receptions. He earned an average of 13.0 yards per catch for the game. Running the show from under center for the Miners was Kai Locksley who went 3/7 with 33 yards passing but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. The UTEP Miners ran the football 38 times and racked up a total of 77 yards which gave them an average of 2.0 yards per carry. In all, they finished with a total of 57 plays which added up to 131 yards. On the day, the Miners got 11 first downs and they totaled 9 penalties for 76 yards telling us that this team was extremely undisciplined. When discussing the defense, UTEP gave up 31 catches on 47 attempts totaling 264 yards, and a completion percentage of 66.0%. Against the run, the Miners gave up 149 yards on 29 attempts giving the other team an average of 5.1 yards per attempt allowed. In the game, they gave up a total of 413 yards and forced 1 takeaway.

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The Miners head into this matchup 1-1. UTEP is making teams consider moving more up into the box by averaging 158.5 yards on the ground per game, ranking them 76th in the nation. As a team, they have a total of 317 yards rushing through 2 games, so they'll look to the run game to try to keep the opponents off balance so they'll have open receivers. The Miners average 319.5 yards per contest overall which has them at 112th in the nation and 11th in Conference USA. The Miners are giving up 36 points per contest which puts them at 13th in the conference and 115th in the country. In terms of points allowed, they have given up 72 points in total. In discussing yards on the ground, they are giving up 131 yards per contest ranking them 57th in D-1 and 5th in Conference USA. This year, they have allowed 262 rushing yards and 3 rushing TDs. Their passing defense is one of the middling units in the country. They are giving up 282 passing yards per game. For passing yards allowed per game, the Miners are ranked 14th in Conference USA.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Miners +14

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