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UTEP vs. SMU Free Week 2 Preview & Pick (Sept. 10)

Bet On College Football – U. Of Texas El Paso Miners vs Southern Methodist Mustangs Gambling Preview

The only positive thing you can say about UTEP’s performance against Stony Brook is that they didn’t give up.  The Miners were down 24-10 in the third quarter but managed to force overtime and eventually win it.  

UTEP Miners vs SMU Mustangs
Gerald J. Ford Stadium – Dallas, Texas
Saturday September 10 – 7:00PM
Moneyline:  SMU -1200, UTEP +925
Spread (ATS): SMU -20
Over/Under: 53
Odds courtesy of 5Dimes

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UTEP

They were lucky to even still have a chance to win it given that they rushed for a paltry 36 yards and turned the ball over 4 times…Although maybe it should not have been a surprise.

The Miners struggles on offense were a result of the fact that they are breaking in an almost entirely new offense, even still their performance against Stony Brook was pitiful.  The only saving grace was they may have found their QB for the next couple of seasons in JC transfer Nick Lamaison.  Hopefully he and the rest of the team might be a little sharper for their first conference test against SMU.

The Miners have had success against SMU – 6-2 since 2003 – including a win as a +6 dog at home last year.  This year, as you can tell by the spread, these teams are much further apart.  The only advantage for the Miners might be that the Mustangs had their hat handed to them by Texas A&M last week in a game that they were trying to prove the program was inching up the status board.  SMU might have trouble getting off the mat.

SMU

I have to admit that I was one of those that thought SMU was ready to take another step this season…but after watching them melt against Texas A&M they appear that they might just be Conference USA good, as opposed to just good.  [soliloquy id=”82219″]

Perhaps the Aggies were geeked up about heading to the SEC but regardless the Mustangs got nothing done after closing the gap to 20-14, eventually losing 46-14.  As much as anything they seemed to lose their confidence.

The Mustang offense is supposed to be formidable but it was pretty meek against Texas A&M.  This was supposed to be the year Kyle Padron put it all together but after throwing interceptions on the first two possessions coach June Jones pulled him out of there for backup J.J. McDermott, who breathed a little life into the attack, but it was short-lived.

The question is who gets the nod against UTEP because they may make him look good.

The defense wasn’t expected to be overly stout but with 8 starters returning a better effort was.  They were gashed on the ground by A&M’s lethal RB duo and sliced and diced through the air by QB Ryan Tannehill, who looks like a Heisman candidate after that outing.  

UTEP is the perfect opponent to get healthy on both sides of the ball so the Mustangs may not be as good as they appear to be after Saturday.

Trends:

UTEP are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
UTEP are 8-21 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
Over is 13-6 in UTEP last 19 road games.
SMU are 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
SMU are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games.

ATS Pick:  SMU -20
Over/Under Pick:  Over 53
Score Prediction:  SMU 45 – UTEP 21

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