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Tulsa at UTEP Football Odds & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

tulsa utep 101909 The Tulsa Golden Hurricane and the Texas El Paso Miners tango at Sun Bowl Stadium Wednesday night in a Conference USA clash on ESPN. Last week, Tulsa shared the national spotlight with then-No. 5 Boise State (AP Poll) and it held its own, playing the highly ranked Broncos to a seven-point game. UTEP has not played since October 10th when it fell at Memphis 20-35. But keep in mind that the Miners were in a letdown spot after a huge 58-41 win over 17th ranked Houston. Tulsa destroyed UTEP 77-35 last season, but in 2007 the Golden Hurricane visited Sun Bowl Stadium and lost 48-47. Football odds makers have listed the Tulsa Golden Hurricane as a 7-point favorite Wednesday night.

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If UTEP hopes to pull off the upset this week, they’ll have to stop dual-threat QB G.J. Kinne. Kinne is having a terrific season both on the ground and through the air. He is second on the team in rushing yards and has passed for 1,296 yards and 12 touchdowns against only two interceptions. In his last three games he has really been terrific, throwing seven touchdown passes and no interceptions. The scary thing is that Kinne could have even better stats if his line did a better job of protecting him. The Golden Hurricane surrendered four sacks to Boise State last week and Kinne was under fire all night long. They have allowed 23 sacks on the season which is the third most in the country. Fortunately for Tulsa, Kinne has been able to avoid numerous other sacks, turning those broken plays into positive yards.

Tulsa’s offense normally gets all the praise, but its defense deserves a pat on the back after its performance against Boise State. The Golden Hurricane held the Broncos two touchdowns below their season average and didn’t allow a rushing score for the sixth straight game this season. I was particularly impressed with DeAundrae Brown in the secondary. He came up big with 18 tackles and a fumble recovery. The sophomore already has 54 stops on the season. It is worth noting that the Golden Hurricane are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven meetings at Texas El Paso. If you like the Golden Hurricane to build off last week’s solid performance with a big win and cover at Sun Bowl Stadium, bet Tulsa at -7 at Sportsbook.com.

Consistency has been the issue for UTEP this season, but the Miners are hoping that their 10-day layoff will help solve those issues. Here’s the proof. UTEP is averaging 48 points and 459.5 yards of total offense in its two wins but only 12.8 points and 268.8 yards in its four losses.

Offensively, I like the progress that QB Trevor Vittatoe is making, but he’s going to need some help from his receivers to get in the win column this week. After a strong game against Houston, his receivers caught a case of the dropsies against Memphis. With Tulsa likely to stack the line to stop running back Donald Buckram, Vittatoe may have to win this one through the air.

The Miners have been inconsistent on defense all season long. UTEP needs to put together a solid defensive effort against a Golden Hurricane squad averaging 30.8 points and 394.3 yards of total offense per game. It is worth noting that the underdog is 4-1 against the spread in the last five meetings. If you like this underdog trend to continue, bet UTEP at +7 at Sportsbook.com.

Jimmy Boyd has nailed five of his last six college football picks. Make sure you consult Jimmy before making a single move on Wednesday night’s contest.

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Written by Jimmy Boyd on October 19, 2009 · Filed Under College Football Betting Articles, News & Previews

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