UTEP Miners vs Fresno State Bulldogs 2021 New Mexico Bowl Pick
Our UTEP vs Fresno State prediction for the 2021 PUBG Mobile New Mexico Bowl is our second pick of six for Saturday, December 18. The UTEP Miners (7-5) finished fourth in the C-USA West with a 4-4 record. They struggled down the stretch, losing four of their last five games. This season, the Fresno State Bulldogs (9-3) were 6-2 in the MWC West. They finished second in the division, one game behind San Diego State. The Bulldogs had a strong finish, as they won four of their final five contests.
Fresno State is favored. You can find them at -11.0 (-110). You can get the UTEP, the underdog, at +12.5 (-110). The total is 51.5 with the over at -107 and under -109.
The New Mexico Bowl will be played at University Stadium (NM) in Albuquerque. The game, which will be broadcast on ESPN, will kick off at 2:15 pm ET on Saturday, December 18, 2021. As noted, it is the second of six bowls being played on Saturday and the fourth of 41 which will be played this season. The weather at game time will be sunny with temperatures in the low 40s. Winds will be from the SE at 4 mph with gusts at 9 mph.
Miners vs Bulldogs Pick - Stats
The Bulldogs are out scoring the Miners 33.6-to-25.2 PPG. Their 463.6 offensive yards per game include 330.1 YPG in the air. On the other hand, UTEP is averaging about 70 fewer offensive yards per game and almost 120 fewer when passing. The Miners are posting 143.5 rushing YPG while the Bulldogs are good for 133.5.
In terms of defensive, these two teams are fairly close statistically. UTEP is allowing 24.8 PPG, while Fresno State is permitting 20.3. In our UTEP vs Fresno State prediction, they’re very close when it comes to yards allowed and in every defensive category, including sacks, passes defended, and interceptions.
UTEP vs Fresno State Prediction - Key Players
If UTEP is going to have a chance in this game, then QB Gavin Hardison is going to have to do better than this season’s 56.0 completion rate. This year, Hardison tossed 17 TD passes and 12 picks. He was sacked 17 times. In contrast, Fresno State’s quarterback Jake Haener comes to this game with a 67.5 COMP%. He’s thrown 32 TD passes and just nine picks. Although Haener has been sacked 22 times, five more than Hardison, he’s superior to the UTEP signal caller. For Fresno State’s Haener, his favorite target is WR Jalen Cropper (76 REC, 827 YDs, 10.9 AVG, 11 TDs). UTEP wideout Jacob Cowing (67 REC, 1,330 YDs, 19.9 AVG, 7 TDs) is Hardison’s primary pass catcher.
The UTEP ground unit is deep and includes Ronald Awatt, who’s rushed for 803 yards on 144 carries, averaging 5.6 YPA and scoring five times. Deion Hankins is also utilized in the Miners’ rush attack. He’s scored six TDs. The Bulldogs also rely on two running backs, Ronnie Rivers and Jordan Mims. Rivers stats include 161 ATT, 788 YDs, and 4.9 YPA, while Mims are 98 ATT, 545 YDs, and 5.6 YPA. Rivers has scored five times and Mims four.
UTEP vs Fresno State Prediction
Haener’s completion rate is 12.5 point higher than UTEP’s Hardison. Plus, the Bulldog QB has been more productive than his counterpart. We think the QB factor is huge in this game. Plus, in the past five weeks, the Bulldogs have been on an upward trajectory while the Miners have stumbled as of late. Our UTEP vs Fresno State prediction likes the favored Bulldogs at -11.0. The over at 51.5 (-107) looks good too as we expect UTEP will score about 20 points and Fresno State approximately 40. .
Remember, Sports Betting Smarts is picking all 41 college football bowls of 2021-22. See our Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Appalachian State Mountaineers 2021 Boca Raton Bowl pick.
2021 New Mexico Bowl - UTEP vs Fresno State Summary
Spread - Fresno State Bulldogs at -11.0 (-110)
Over/Under - Over 51.5 (-107)
