Free Pick | NCAA | Thursday | Jan. 2

Nelly’s has hit 61% since late November in college basketball – join us for January after a winning December!

#798 UTEP -2.5 over Louisiana Tech 9 PM CT

UTEP is 10-3 and in the past eight games the Miners are 7-1 with only a three-point loss at Louisville. That run includes three top 150 wins and for the season UTEP is 7-0 S/U at home. The Miners have a fierce defense that creates turnovers at the second highest rate in the nation while the offense is shooting over 41 percent beyond the 3-point arc for appealing qualities as Conference USA play kicks off tonight. Louisiana Tech is 11-2 but the Bulldogs have struggled with turnovers even in a light overall schedule. Louisiana Tech did beat Grand Canyon at home in mid-December for a nice result but that is one of only two games the Bulldogs haver played vs. top 150 opponents all season. Louisiana Tech does have two road wins but lost by double digits in the team’s toughest road test. Louisiana Tech went 2-0 vs. UTEP last season including a six-point win in El Paso last February but this year’s team is much less experienced behind center Daniel Batcho. UTEP has a lot of production back from last season as the Miners look like a team that will move up in the Conference USA standings with tonight’s game a key opportunity in that quest. This team takes some momentum from last season into 2024-25 conference season after winning the final three regular season games last season and taking two Conference USA tournament games.