Sam Houston Bearkats vs UTEP Miners Matchup

Check out our free Sam Houston Bearkats vs UTEP Miners pick and preview for this CFB week 6 game in El Paso. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 6 CFB matchup.

Heading into this week six college football matchup, the Sam Houston Bearkats are 4-1 on the season, while the UTEP Miners are still looking for their first win, sitting at 0-4. The game is set for Thursday, October 3rd, with a 9:00 ET kick-off at Sun Bowl in El Paso and being broadcast on CBSS. The Bearkats are the -10.5-point favorites, and the over/under line is currently at 50.5 points.

Bearkats vs. Miners Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Sam Houston Bearkats at UTEP Miners
Where: El Paso at Sun Bowl
Date: Thursday, October 3rd
Betting Odds SMHO -10.5, SMHO -416 | UTEP +318 O/U 50.5

Bearkats Preview:

Sam Houston enters Week 6 against UTEP with a 4-1 record, ranking 91st in our power rankings. They have a 98.6% chance of becoming bowl-eligible and a 24.1% shot at winning Conference USA. The Bearkats are 3-0 at home and 1-1 on the road this season.

Against the spread, Sam Houston is 4-1, with a +5.6 average scoring margin. They are 2-0 ATS as favorites and 3-0 ATS at home.

Their over/under record is 2-3, with an average total of 54.4 points per game. This week’s line is set at 50.5 points.

Bearkats Offense Breakdown

Sam Houston’s offense has leaned heavily on the run, leading the nation with 45.6 rushing attempts per game and averaging 218.6 rushing yards per contest, ranking 12th in the country. Jay Ducker has rushed for 278 yards and scored four touchdowns.

Overall, Sam Houston is averaging 30 points per game, ranking 50th nationally, and they are converting 43.2% of their third-down attempts. Quarterback Hunter Watson has thrown for 635 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 71.

Bearkats Team Defense

Sam Houston's defense has allowed an average of 24.4 points per game this season, including 39 points in their latest matchup against Texas State. They gave up 417 total yards, with 326 yards coming through the air and three passing touchdowns.

Opponents have averaged 209.8 passing yards per game against Sam Houston, completing 63.8% of their passes. The Bearkats have faced the 27th fewest rushing attempts in the country, allowing 131.2 rushing yards per game.

Miners Preview:

Against the spread, Sam Houston is 4-1, with a +5.6 average scoring margin. They are 2-0 ATS as favorites and 3-0 ATS at home.

Their over/under record is 2-3, with an average total of 54.4 points per game. This week’s line is set at 50.5 points.

Miners Offense Breakdown

UTEP’s offense has struggled this season, averaging just 14.5 points per game, which ranks 126th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 6. Their third-down conversion rate is only 31.6%, and their rushing attack is producing just 79.8 yards per game.

Skyler Locklear leads the passing game with 710 yards, and UTEP ranks 41st in passing attempts per game. Locklear has a passer rating of 77, with three touchdowns and four interceptions. Kenny Odom has 289 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Miners Team Defense

UTEP's defense has struggled this season, allowing 30.5 points per game. In their recent game against Colorado State, they gave up 27 points, including 228 rushing yards on 41 attempts. They also allowed 132 passing yards but managed to force an interception.

Opponents have averaged 227 rushing yards per game against UTEP, while quarterbacks have posted a 105.8 passer rating. UTEP's defense has faced the 17th fewest pass attempts in the nation, averaging 23.5 per game, but have allowed a 68.8% completion rate and 189.8 passing yards per game.

Bearkats vs Miners Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three road games, Sam Houston has averaged 23 points per game while allowing 29. The team's record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 2-1.
In their last five home games, UTEP has averaged 20 points per game while allowing 32. The team's record in this stretch was 1-4 while going 3-2.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the UTEP Miners have gone 3-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-5.
As the betting favorite, the Sam Houston Bearkats have an ATS mark of just 2-3 in their last ten games. Sam Houston posted a straight up mark of 3-2 in these matchups.