posted March 19, 2008 at 21:29 EST in NCAA B Free Picks

BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds: UTEP -1, Total 143

The Utah Utes (17-14 SU, 14-14-1 ATS) try to bring a positive ending to an up-and-down season as they compete in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) on Wednesday night, taking on the Miners of Texas-El Paso (19-13 SU, 13-14-1 ATS) in a first-round game that begins at 9 PM ET at the Haskins Center.

At BetUS Sportsbook, UTEP is listed as a one-point favorite, with a total of 143 points.

Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* UTAH has lost six of its last eight games
* UTAH is 2-6-1 ATS in its last nine games
* UTAH has played 10 of its last 15 games OVER the total
* UTAH is 1-4-1 ATS in its last six road games
* UTAH has lost five of its last six road games SU
* UTEP has played seven of its last nine games OVER the total
* UTEP has won 14 of its last 17 home games SU
* UTAH has won the last five meetings SU

Both of these teams used to belong to the Western Athletic Conference, but Utah went over to the Mountain West while UTEP has resurfaced in Conference USA. Utah only got as far as the second round of the MWC tournament, and then lost to eventual champion UNLV. UTEP barely lost out to Tulsa (also in the CBI) in the third round of C-USA play.

Stefon Jackson is the guy who's hard to stop for UTEP. He's averaging 23.7 ppg on 47% shooting. And he knows how to attack the hoop too; on thirteen different occasions he went to the free throw line 10 or more times. Backcourt mate Marvin Kilgore has a 2.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which is excellent at this level.

Luke Nevill, Utah's seven-foot center, has been producing lately, with three efforts of more than 20 points in the last five games. But Nevill isn't necessarily so assertive on the boards, and has gone 18 games without a 10-rebound performance. UTEP can play fair in the muscle department. And with more bonafide scoring threats, the edge goes to UTEP. We'll take the Miners, the one-point favorite in the BetUS March Madness betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: UTEP

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)