UTEP Miners vs Fresno State Bulldogs Prediction, 12/18/2021 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UTEP Miners vs Fresno State Bulldogs

Date: Saturday, December 18, 2021

Location: University Stadium (NM) in Albuquerque, NM

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Bulldogs (-17.5)

Total/Over-Under: 52

The Fresno State Bulldogs (9-3) host the UTEP Miners (7-5) at University Stadium (NM) on Saturday in the PUBG Mobile New Mexico Bowl. UTEP opens this game as 17.5-point dogs. The total comes in at 52.

The UTEP Miners come into this matchup with a record of 7-5 this season. In their last game, the Miners played against the UAB Blazers and ended up losing by a score of 42-25. Deion Hankins led the offense in rushing for the Miners with 16 attempts for 68 yds (4.3 yds per attempt). Gavin Hardison went 21/34 with 204 yds passing and 1 TD. He had a QB rate of 116.0 and walked away from the contest with 1 interception. When it came to stopping the run, the Miners gave up 220 yds on 41 attempts, which calculates to 5.4 yards per rush allowed. UTEP surrendered 15 completions on 21 tries for a total of 108 yards, and a completion rate of 71.4%. In the game, they had 64 plays which gave them 303 yds. The UTEP Miners ended up rushing 30 times and amassed 99 yds, which came out to an average of 3.3 yds per carry.

When talking about getting in the endzone, the UTEP Miners hold an average of 25.2 PPG. As a team they're maintaining an average of 144.8 yards on the ground which is 84th in the country. The Miners have racked up 4,717 total yards for the season. In terms of getting the ball in the endzone, UTEP has compiled 16 touchdowns through the air and 17 rushing touchdowns. UTEP has compiled 218 1st downs as an offense, and they have been flagged for 103 penalties for 917 yds. They have turned the ball over 22 different times.

In terms of yards via the pass, the Miners are allowing 2,441 yards which ranks them 26th in the country. They have yielded 203.4 yards per outing through the air and allowed a completion percentage of 53.9%. Overall, they have surrendered 339.4 yards/game which ranks them 30th in Division 1. They have allowed 16 touchdowns via the pass as well as 20 touchdowns via the ground game. The opposition is running for 3.9 yards per running attempt and 136.0 rushing yards per game on the season. In total, they have given up 1,632 yards via the ground game in 12 games. The Miners rank 53rd in the country in terms of their opponents scoring, conceding 24.8 points per game.

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The Bulldogs head into this game 9-3 for this season. When they last stepped on the gridiron, the Bulldogs got the win with a final of 40-9 when they played the San Jose State Spartans. Ronnie Rivers carried the rock 14 times for 65 yards, walking away from the game with 4.6 yds per carry for Fresno State. Jake Haener (4 touchdowns) finished the contest with 343 yards on 27/36 through the air while his QB rating was 191.7. He didn't throw any interceptions and his average yards per attempt was 9.5. Fresno State conceded 25 attempts on the ground for 64 yards (2.6 yds per rush). The Bulldogs pass defense conceded a completion percentage of 44.2%, relinquishing 260 yards on 19 for 43 through the air. The Bulldogs finished the contest with 486 yards while running 71 plays (6.8 yards per play). Fresno State ran for 4.1 yards per attempt, totaling 138 yds on 34 attempts.

The Fresno State Bulldogs hold an average of 463.7 yards/game, which has them sitting 14th in college football. The Fresno State offense has accrued 868 yds of penalties on 94 violations, which is 19th in the nation in terms of hurting your team. During the season so far, the Bulldogs have racked up 3,961 yards via the pass as well as holding an average of 330.1 passing yards per outing, which ranks 9th in Division 1. In relation to how much they score, the Bulldogs are 28th in college football averaging 33.6 PPG.

Fresno State has surrendered a total of 1,528 yards via the ground game (127.3 yards per outing) and 14 touchdowns on the ground this year. They have given up 16 touchdowns via the pass in addition to 215.3 yards per outing, which has them ranked 44th in the nation. The Bulldogs defense has taken the field for 802 plays, which has them ranked 43rd in the country. The Bulldogs are relinquishing 20.3 PPG, which has them sitting 21st in D-1. Over the course of the season, they have allowed 244 total points.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Miners +17.5

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