Florida International Panthers vs UTEP Miners Matchup

Check out our free Florida International Panthers vs UTEP Miners pick and preview for this CFB week 8 game in El Paso. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 8 CFB matchup.

Florida International is favored at -7 as they head into this week eight matchup against the UTEP Miners at 9:00 ET on Wednesday, October 16th. The game is being played at Sun Bowl El Paso and will be broadcast on CBSS. The Panthers have a 2-4 record for the season, while the Miners are still looking for their first win at 0-6. The over/under line is currently set at 49 points.

Panthers vs. Miners Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Florida International Panthers at UTEP Miners
Where: El Paso at Sun Bowl
Date: Wednesday, October 16th
Betting Odds FLINT -7, FLINT -261 | UTEP +210 O/U 49

Panthers Preview:

Florida International enters Week 8 with a 2-4 record, ranked 114th in our power rankings. They’ve been strong at home, going 2-0, but are winless on the road at 0-2. Looking ahead, they have a 59.2% chance of becoming bowl-eligible, according to projections.

The Panthers have covered the spread in three of four games this season, with an average scoring margin of -1.5 points. They are 2-0 against the spread at home and 1-1 on the road, despite not being favored in any game so far.

FIU’s over/under record is 2-2, with their games averaging 55.5 points. The average over/under line has been 50.5 points, and this week’s line sits at 49 points.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Florida International’s offense is averaging 27 points per game as they head into week 8, placing them 55th in the nation. Quarterback Keyone Jenkins has thrown for 1,349 yards, completing 63.2% of his passes, and has nine touchdown passes against five interceptions. His passer rating is 92. FIU ranks 51st in passing attempts per game and 42nd in completions.

Eric Rivers leads the receiving corps with 448 yards and three touchdowns on 24 catches. On the ground, FIU is averaging 106.8 rushing yards per game. Kejon Owens has rushed for 265 yards and four touchdowns. The Panthers have struggled on third downs, converting just 29.9% of their attempts, and they are ranked 119th in our offensive power rankings.

Panthers Team Defense

Florida International's defense has allowed 28.5 points per game this season, including 31 points in their recent matchup against Liberty. They gave up 406 total yards, with 281 rushing yards on 50 attempts, but limited Liberty to 125 passing yards on 16 attempts.

Opponents have averaged 203.8 rushing yards per game against FIU, ranking them 154th nationally. Through the air, they’ve allowed 205.8 passing yards per game, with quarterbacks posting a passer rating of 78, which is the 42nd-lowest in the country.

Miners Preview:

FIU’s over/under record is 2-2, with their games averaging 55.5 points. The average over/under line has been 50.5 points, and this week’s line sits at 49 points.

Miners Offense Breakdown

UTEP’s offense has struggled this season, ranking last in our offensive power rankings heading into week 8. They are also 93rd in scoring, averaging just 16 points per game, and their third-down conversion rate is 34.5%, which is also 93rd nationally. On the ground, they are averaging 98.3 rushing yards per game.

Skyler Locklear leads the passing attack with 792 yards, and UTEP ranks 36th in passing attempts per game. Locklear has a passer rating of 76, with three touchdowns and four interceptions. Kenny Odom has 435 receiving yards and four touchdowns this season.

Miners Team Defense

UTEP's defense has struggled this season, giving up an average of 34.5 points per game. In their recent matchup against Western Kentucky, they allowed 44 points, including 228 rushing yards and 264 passing yards, though they did manage to force an interception.

Opponents have averaged 238.5 rushing yards per game against UTEP, while quarterbacks have posted a 108 passer rating and averaged 207.8 passing yards per game. UTEP's defense has faced the 22nd fewest pass attempts in the nation, but they’ve allowed a completion rate of 67.2%.

Panthers vs Miners Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last ten road contests, the Florida International Panthers offense has averaged 17 points per game while allowing an average of 32. Florida International posted an overall record of 2-8 while going 6-4 ATS.
Through their last three home games, UTEP has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 0-3 while averaging 14 points per game.
The last ten games that UTEP was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 1-9 straight up.
Looking back on the team's last five games as the favorite, the Florida International Panthers have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 0-5.