UTEP Miners vs Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Prediction, 3/8/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UTEP Miners vs Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025

Location: Thomas Assembly Center in Chapel Hill, NC

TV: ESPN+

The UTEP Miners (17-12) are traveling to Thomas Assembly Center on Saturday where they will attempt to beat the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (19-10).

The UTEP Miners stepped onto the hardwood against MTSU and took a loss by a score of 76-75 in their last contest. UTEP ended the game with a 42.2% field goal percentage (27 out of 64) and converted 5 out of their 23 shots from beyond the arc. From the charity stripe, the Miners made 16 of 22 attempts for a rate of 72.7%. When it comes to hauling in boards, they collected 40 with 5 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 16 assists for this game in addition to forcing the other team into 11 turnovers and getting 7 steals. In relation to defending, UTEP allowed their opponent to shoot 38.5% from the field on 30 of 78 shooting. MTSU doled out 14 dimes and had 6 steals for the contest. Furthermore, MTSU collected 43 boards (12 offensive, 31 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. MTSU finished the contest at 53.3% from the charity stripe by knocking down 8 of 15 attempts. They also made 8 of 37 shots from beyond the arc. With respect to fouls, the Miners finished with 13 and MTSU recorded 17 fouls.

Kevin Kalu is a guy who played a role in this matchup. He finished shooting 72.7% from the field but didn't record an assist. He was on the hardwood for 33 minutes and totaled 9 boards. He recorded 26 points on 8 of 11 shooting.

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UTEP comes into this one with a record of 17-12 for the campaign. They turn it over 11.9 times per contest and as a team are committing 18.2 fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, UTEP is snagging 31.1 rebounds per contest and is sitting with 401 dimes on the campaign, which is 213th in college hoops in terms of passing the ball. The Miners are shooting 35.3% on 3-point shots (210 of 595) and 71.2% from the charity stripe. They are averaging 72.7 points per game (218th in college hoops) while connecting on 44.4% from the floor.

When they are on defense, the Miners are able to force 16.4 turnovers per contest and they draw 17.1 personal fouls. They are giving up 31.2% on shots from downtown and they are 113th in D-1 in opponents points per game (69.8). The Miners are allowing a FG percentage of 43.9% (692 of 1,575) and they surrender 36.9 boards per contest as a group. They are ranked 179th in the country in giving up assists with 396 conceded for the year.

The last time they took the court, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs took home the win by a final score of 90-66 when they played Sam Houston State. The Bulldogs corralled 20 defensive boards and 4 offensive rebounds totaling 24 for the game. They turned the ball over 9 times, while recording 7 steals in this game. Sam Houston State committed 19 fouls for the contest which got the Bulldogs to the free throw line for a total of 21 attempts. They were able to make 18 of those for a percentage of 85.7%. In terms of 3-point attempts, Louisiana Tech made 10 of their 20 attempts (50.0%). When the game finished, the Bulldogs ended up shooting 31 out of 52 from the floor which gave them a rate of 59.6%. The Bulldogs permitted Sam Houston State to bury 20 of their 50 attempts from the floor which had them shooting 40.0% for this contest. They finished shooting 33.3% from distance by shooting 6 out of 18 and finished the game at 20 of 26 at the charity stripe (76.9%). In regard to cleaning up the glass, Louisiana Tech allowed Sam Houston State to snag 23 in total (8 on the offensive side).

AJ Bates was important for the Bulldogs in this contest. He tallied 20 points in his 40 mins of playing time and had 9 dimes in this matchup. He converted 7 out of 13 for the contest giving him a field goal percentage of 53.8%, and tallied 3 rebounds.

Louisiana Tech has a win-loss record of 19-10 this year. As an offense, the Bulldogs are shooting 47.2% from the field, which is 58th in the nation. Louisiana Tech has totaled 2,158 points this season (74.4 per contest) and they grab 36.0 boards per game. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 15.6 times per contest (61st in college hoops) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 12.7 times per contest. The Bulldogs are committing 15.3 fouls every game and they connect on 76.0% from the charity stripe.

The Louisiana Tech defense gives up 31.9% on shots from distance (217 of 680) and opponents are converting on 70.7% of their free throw shots. They allow 12.1 dimes and 31.8 boards per game, which ranks them 91st and 40th in Division 1. The Bulldogs defensively are ranked 76th in college hoops in PPG allowed with 68.5. They are able to force 10.7 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 41.6% from the field (63rd in college).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Louisiana Tech

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