Fresh off their first FBS win of the season, Dana Dimel and his 2-5 UTEP Miners welcome the 4-3 New Mexico State Aggies to El Paso for an all-CUSA clash under the Wednesday night lights.
Who emerges victorious? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a UTEP vs. New Mexico State prediction.
UTEP vs. New Mexico State Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. Want to take advantage of the UTEP vs. New Mexico State odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
New Mexico State -3 - Moneyline
New Mexico State -162, UTEP +136 - Over/Under
48 points - Game time
9 p.m. ET - Location
Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX - Predicted Weather at Kick
69 degrees, 6-8 mph winds, clear - How to Watch
FuboTV, ESPN2
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Looking to make a little money on the Miners? Or can you become “new money” on some New Mexico State stakes? If you’re going to take advantage of the UTEP vs. New Mexico State odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
Are UTEP set for a turnaround after securing their first win of the season? Having won their last two against New Mexico State, not to mention holding a 59-38-2 winning record over the Aggies in the “Battle of I-10” rivalry, it might seem like a fortuitous opponent as they look to build a winning streak.
However, Jerry Kill has his team on a streak of their own, and New Mexico State comes into the game as the favorite.
The Aggies won their last two games, are 2-1 in CUSA play, and two games removed from bowl eligibility. Our UTEP vs. New Mexico State prediction favors the Aggies.
In other UTEP vs. New Mexico State odds, the Aggies are 3-1 covering the spread as the favorite — including in the last two games. None of their previous four wins have been by less than the three-point line in this game. Meanwhile, UTEP is just 2-5 covering the spread.
Previous results favor the under — the two have combined to cover the over in five of 13 games in 2023. Furthermore, the last two matchups between the two have been low-scoring affairs. The New Mexico State offense may force the issue, resulting to an over/under line push in our prediction.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
UTEP Depth Chart | New Mexico State Depth Chart
- QB Diego Pavia, New Mexico State ($12,000)
- QB Gavin Hardison, UTEP ($8,000)
- QB Cade McConnell, UTEP ($8,000)
- RB Torrance Burgess Jr., UTEP ($8,300)
- RB Deion Hankins, UTEP ($7,900)
- RB Star Thomas, New Mexico State ($7,000)
- RB Ahmonte Watkins, New Mexico State ($6,000)
- RB Jamoni Jones, New Mexico State ($5,700)
- RB Mike Franklin, UTEP ($4,500)
- WR Kelly Akharaiyi, UTEP ($9,500)
- WR Trent Hudson, New Mexico State ($8,800)
- WR Tyrin Smith, UTEP ($7,000)
- WR Jeremiah Ballard, UTEP ($6,600)
- WR Jonathan Brady, New Mexico State ($6,500)
- WR Jordin Parker, New Mexico State ($6,000)
- WR Chris Bellamy, New Mexico State ($5,700)
- TE Zach Fryar, UTEP ($5,400)
- TE Thomaz Whitford, New Mexico State ($5,000)
There are two college football games on Wednesday to compile your DFS team from in Week 8. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “superflex” that can be any of the above. Or you can also select a tight end for the Superflex spot.
With a low-scoring game predicted for the other CUSA matchup on this Wednesday slate, your UTEP vs. New Mexico State picks are likely to be plentiful. They start with Aggies quarterback Diego Pavia, whose dual-threat ability makes for a highly desirable fantasy option at the position.
Only Kaidon Salter has more fantasy points in CUSA halfway through the 2023 season.
The quarterback situation isn’t quite as clear cut for the Miners. Cade McConnell guided UTEP to their first win of the season after replacing injured starter Gavin Hardison. Although McConnell has been elevated to QB2 on the depth chart and took reps with the ones in practice this week, if Hardison is fit to play, it appears he will get the start.
Avoid the situation altogether.
There’s a hat full of running back components to consider in this game, with Star Thomas, Torrance Burgess Jr., Deion Hankins, and Ahmonte Watkins all viable options. Thomas has the second most targets in the passing game for New Mexico State, adding fantasy receiving value to his ability as a running back.
Aggies pass-catcher Trent Hudson should take one of your WR spots.
Prediction for UTEP vs. New Mexico State
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the UTEP vs. New Mexico State odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction. Will UTEP’s Week 7 win begin a Miners march through the rest of their CUSA schedule? Or is New Mexico State a sure thing to advance to five wins by the end of Wednesday night?
The Miners will be buoyed by their win over FIU last time out. Dimel’s team frustrated the Golden Panthers on the ground, limiting them to less than 100 yards despite giving up two rushing touchdowns. The defense dominated the trench warfare, camping in the FIU backfield with three players registering multiple tackles for loss and sacks.
Led by Tyrice Knight, Maurice Westmoreland, and Praise Amaewhule, the defense has the playmakers to cause New Mexico State some offensive headaches. With McConnell at quarterback, they also found a way to terrorize with the passing game — led by wide receiver Kelly Akharaiyi’s 223 yards and two scores.
New Mexico State has had some issues giving up yardage to the passing game, but with a bend-don’t-break unit that has just two interceptions, they’ve only allowed eight passing touchdowns.
One of the best scoring defenses in CUSA has enough playmakers halt any attempt to get beyond 21 points, and Pavia powers an offense that guides the Aggies to a fifth win of 2023.
Prediction: New Mexico State 27, UTEP 21