UAB Blazers vs UTEP Miners Prediction, 2/26/2022 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UAB Blazers vs UTEP Miners

Date: Saturday, February 26, 2022

Location: Don Haskins Center in El Paso, TX

TV: ESPN+

The UAB Blazers (20-7) are headed to Don Haskins Center on Saturday where they will attempt to beat the UTEP Miners (16-11).

The UAB Blazers took the court against North Texas and took a loss by a score of 58-57 in their last contest. With respect to personal fouls, the Blazers left the arena with 14 while North Texas totaled 21 personal fouls. They made 8 of their 19 tries from beyond the arc. North Texas finished 62.5% from the free throw line by knocking down 10 of their 16 attempts. Moreover, North Texas pulled down 27 rebounds (7 offensive, 20 defensive), but didn't notch a block. North Texas earned 7 dimes and had 4 steals in this matchup. In the matter of the defense, UAB allowed 43.5% from the floor on 20 out of 46 shooting. They also recorded 9 dimes for this contest while forcing the other team into 11 turnovers and earning 7 steals. When talking about hauling in boards, they compiled 29 with 8 of them being of the offensive variety. At the free throw line, the Blazers converted 14 of their 23 shots for a rate of 60.9%. UAB finished the contest with a 40.0% FG percentage (20 out of 50) and made 3 out of their 11 shots from distance.

Tavin Lovan is one player who was a major factor in the game. He walked away with 12 points on 4 out of 5 shooting. He saw the court for 25 mins played and also collected 3 rebounds. He finished 80.0% from the floor but didn't record an assist.

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UAB heads into this matchup with a record of 20-7 so far this year. They turn it over 10.7 times per game and as a squad they commit 16.4 fouls on a nightly basis. As a team, UAB is pulling in 38.0 rebounds per game and has accumulated 356 dimes for the campaign, which has them ranked 179th in D-1 in terms of passing the rock. The Blazers are shooting 36.3% on shots from downtown (205 of 565) and 73.4% from the free throw line. They average 80.5 points per contest (11th in college basketball) while hitting 46.7% from the floor.

On the defensive end, the Blazers are forcing 16.9 turnovers per game while drawing 15.3 fouls. They are giving up 33.6% from beyond the arc and they are 55th in college basketball in opponents PPG (64.9). The Blazers defense is giving up a field goal percentage of 41.1% (621 of 1,510) and they relinquish 34.3 boards per contest as a squad. They are currently ranked 60th in D-1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 295 surrendered so far this season.

The last time they took the court, the UTEP Miners went home defeated by a final of 77-59 against MTSU. In reference to team rebounding, UTEP permitted MTSU to get 39 in total (7 on the offensive side). They went 47.8% from three-point range by going 11 of 23 and ended up shooting 14 out of 21 at the free throw line (66.7%). The Miners permitted MTSU to convert 26 of their 53 attempts from the floor which left them with a rate of 49.1% for this game. In all, the Miners finished 19 for 52 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 36.5%. When it comes to three-point shots, UTEP converted 5 out of 22 attempts (22.7%). They were able to bury 16 of them for a percentage of 72.7%. MTSU committed 16 personal fouls in this game which got the Miners to the charity stripe for a total of 22 tries. They also gave up possession 8 times, while earning 5 steals in the matchup. The Miners earned 22 defensive rebounds and 2 offensive boards totaling 24 in the matchup.

Souley Boum was important for the Miners for the matchup. He knocked down 7 out of 18 for this game for a field goal rate of 38.9%, and had 9 rebounds. He totaled 24 points in his 38 mins of playing time and accumulated 1 assist for the game.

UTEP has a mark of 16-11 this season. As an offense, the Miners are shooting 42.3% from the floor, which ranks them 272nd in the nation. UTEP has 1,864 pts for the year (69.0 per game) and they grab 32.1 boards per game. They are dishing out assists 12.1 times per game (251st in college basketball) and they are losing possession via turnover 11.8 times per contest. The Miners commit 18.5 personal fouls per contest and they connect on 76.8% from the free throw line.

The Miners are ranked 100th in D-1 in PPG allowed with 66.5. They are forcing their opponents into 15.1 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 44.5% from the floor (256th in college hoops). The UTEP defense allows 34.4% on shots from 3-point land (161 of 468) and their opposition knocks down 63.6% of their free throw shots. They have given up 12.1 assists and 36.1 boards on a nightly basis, which is 139th and 274th in those categories.

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take UTEP

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