The UTEP Miners (18-15) and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (21-11) meet in the Conference USA Tournament Championship Game Saturday at the Propst Arena in Huntsville, Ala. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET (CBSSN). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s'lines around the UTEP vs. Western Kentucky odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The 5th-seeded Miners have won 5 in a row, tying a season. UTEP also won 5 straight to opener the season from Nov. 6-21. The Miners have covered 4 of those games, including tournament wins against Liberty and top-seeded Sam Houston State.
The 3rd-seeded Hilltoppers have crushed all comers in the CUSA Tournament, beating New Mexico State by 20 Thursday, and topping Middle Tennessee Friday by 31 points. Western Kentucky has covered 3 in a row, and it is 7-3 against the spread (ATS) in the past 10 games.
Western Kentucky has won 8 of the past 9 meetings, although the teams split the regular-season series this year. UTEP won 93-87 in El Paso as a 1.5-point favorite on Jan. 20, while Western Kentucky won 90-80 as a 7-point favorite on Feb. 15. The Over cashed in each regular-season meeting, and the total has gone high in 5 straight in the series.