A pair of Conference USA teams will square off on Wednesday night when the UTEP Miners travel to Huntsville, Texas to face the Sam Houston State Bearkats at Elliot T. Bowers Stadium with the game airing on ESPN 2 at 8:00 PM ET in week 9 of the college football season.

The UTEP Miners enter this game with a record of 2-6 following a 7-28 loss at home against the New Mexico State Aggies while failing to cover the 3-point spread as a home underdog in week 8 of the college football season. UTEP scored 7 points while compiling a total of 304 yards offensively which included 179 passing yards and 125 rushing yards while allowing 28 points and 439 total yards defensively which included 186 passing yards and 253 rushing yards. Cade McConnell led the team in passing, completing 15 of 32 attempts for 179 yards. Deion Hankins led the team in rushing with 16 carries for 120 yards while adding two receptions for 13 yards. Jeremiah Ballard led the team in receiving, catching five of eight targets for 75 yards.

Sam Houston State enters this game with a record of 0-7 following a 27-33 double-overtime loss at home against the Florida International Panthers while failing to cover the 6-point spread as a home favorite in week 8 of the college football season. The Bearkats scored 27 points while compiling a total of 410 yards offensively which included 299 passing yards and 111 rushing yards while allowing 33 points and 332 total yards defensively which included 192 passing yards and 140 rushing yards. Keegan Shoemaker led the team in passing, completing 31 of 47 attempts for 306 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while adding 30 rushing yards on eight attempts. Noah Smith led the team in rushing with three carries for 40 yards and a touchdown while also leading the team in receiving, catching nine of 13 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown.

BookMaker has the Sam Houston State Bearkats listed as 3.5-point favorites at home against the UTEP Miners on Wednesday night in week 9 of the college football season. These teams have played only one other time resulting in a 59-14 win at home for the UTEP Miners. UTEP is 2-6 ATS overall, 1-3 ATS on the road, 1-4 ATS as an underdog, and 1-3 ATS in conference games this season while the Sam Houston State Bearkats are 3-3-1 ATS overall, 0-1-1 ATS at home, 0-1 ATS as a favorite, and 1-2-1 ATS in conference games on the year.

Both teams are two of the worst in Conference USA this season with the Bearkats having lost all four of their conference games while the Miners have lost three of their four. However, Sam Houston State has been the better team at covering the spread this season going 3-3-1 ATS while UTEP is 2-6 ATS overall. I give the slight edge to the Sam Houston State Bearkats which is why I am buying the .5 point and laying the points with the Sam Houston State Bearkats when they host the UTEP Miners.