Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs UTEP Miners NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/23/25

Betting on today’s Gamecocks and Miners game? Catch the action at Don Haskins Center in El Paso, TX, as the Miners hosts this showdown at 9:00 ET on ESPN+. This Conference USA conference matchup has an over/under of 137.5 points, and UTEP is favored to win by -5.5 at home vs. Jacksonville State.

JACKSONVILLE STATE GAMECOCKS VS UTEP MINERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: UTEP Miners -5.5

This game will be played at Don Haskins Center at 9:00 ET on Thursday, January 23rd.

WHY BET THE UTEP MINERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 79-68 in favor of the Miners.
• Not only will UTEP pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -5.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 137.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.

Will the Jacksonville State Defense Show Up on the Road?

Jacksonville State Gamecocks Recent Game/Games

The Gamecocks improved to 8-7 this season with a 70-62 win over Sam Houston on Saturday. Playing at home, Jacksonville State entered the game as -2.5 favorites and covered the spread. The total points for the game were 132, falling short of the 146.5 O/U line.

Jacksonville State trailed 32-26 at halftime but turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring Sam Houston 44-30 to secure the win.

Jacksonville State put up 70 points in their last game, shooting 42.9% from the field and 31.2% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 46.4%, and they hit 77.3% of their free throws, going 17-for-22 from the line. The Gamecocks grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and dished out 8 assists.

Jaron Pierre Jr. and Josiah Hammons each scored 20 points, with Hammons hitting 6 of 9 threes at a 66.7% rate. Pierre struggled, shooting 28.6% overall and missing all 5 of his three-point attempts. Quel’Ron House added 19 points, connecting on 66.7% of his threes, while Lamar Wilkerson shot just 26.3% from the field and 18.2% from deep.

Jacksonville State’s defense held their opponent to 62 points, allowing them to shoot 42% from the field with 24 made baskets on 56 attempts. Inside the arc, the Gamecocks gave up 19 two-point field goals on 40 tries, a 47% shooting rate.

From three-point range, Jacksonville State limited their opponent to 5 made threes on 16 attempts, a 31% success rate. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 22 times, where they converted 17 shots for a 77% free-throw percentage. The Gamecocks allowed 13 offensive rebounds.

Can the Miners Secure a Win at Home?

UTEP Miners Recent Game/Games

UTEP improved to 11-4 on the season with an 81-73 win over FIU on Saturday, January 18th. The Miners, who were -2.5 favorites, covered the spread with the victory.

UTEP led 44-36 at halftime and matched FIU’s 37 points in the 2nd half. The game’s total points of 154 went over the O/U line of 139.5.

UTEP’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 81 points with a 53.8% shooting performance from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 63.5%, thanks to hitting 43.5% from beyond the arc (10/23) and 62.1% on two-point attempts (18/29). The Miners also connected on 78.9% of their free throws, going 15/19 from the line.

Otis Frazier III led the way with 22 points, shooting 8/10 overall and 3/4 from three-point range. Ahamad Bynum added 18 points, hitting 4/9 from deep, while Jonathan Aybar contributed 17 points and 6 rebounds. Kole Williams was perfect from the field, going 5/5, including 1/1 from three, and Kevin Kalu also shot 80%, making 4 of his 5 attempts.

UTEP’s defense gave up 73 points in this one, with the opposing team shooting 46% from the field on 27/58 shooting. They were especially effective inside, hitting 56% of their two-point attempts, going 23/41.

From beyond the arc, UTEP held their opponent to 23% shooting, as they went just 4/17 from three. The Miners sent them to the line 20 times, where they converted 15 free throws for 75%. UTEP also allowed 13 offensive rebounds.