by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Nov 22, 2023
Game Time: 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, November 25, 2023
Venue: Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX
Where to Watch: CBS Sports
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Liberty -17, UTEP +17; Over/Under: 57.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Liberty -17, UTEP +17; Over/Under: 57.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Liberty -17, UTEP +17; Over/Under: 57.5 points
Season Record
Liberty Flames: 11-0 (7-0) (1st place, C-USA)
UTEP Miners: 3-8 (2-5) (6th place, C-USA)
Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Kyle Hunter is on a HOT STREAK in the NCAAF as he is 97-64 his last 161 CFB plays! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.
Recent Form
Liberty Flames: won their last game at home against the UMass Minutemen 49-25.
UTEP Miners: lost their last game on the road against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 34-30.
Liberty Flames vs UTEP Miners Preview and Analysis
Liberty is entering this game with an 11-0 record overall and they have a 7-0 record in their conference games too. They are 7-0 in their home games, 4-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against UMass 49-25. Kaidon Salter was the starting QB and he completed 11/16 passes for 225 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Kaidon Salter led the team in rushing yards with 118 and 2 TDs. Kylen Austin led the receivers with 46 receiving yards on 1 reception. Tyren Dupree led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 8 assisted tackles while no one on the defense recorded a sack in that one. Preston Hodge and Joseph Carter each came away with 1 interception for them in that game.
UTEP is entering this game with a 3-8 record overall and they have a 2-5 record in their conference games too. They are 1-4 in their home games, 2-4 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against Middle Tennessee State 34-30. Cade McConnell was the starting QB and he completed 24/41 passes for 364 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Deion Hankins led the team in rushing yards with 48 and 1 TD. Kelly Akharaiyi led the receivers with 138 receiving yards on 6 receptions and 2 TDs. Tyrice Knight led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Tyrice Knight and Maurice Westmoreland each led the defense in sacks with 1. Oscar Moore came away with the only interception for them in that game.
Liberty vs UTEP Prediction
The current betting odds have Liberty listed as a 17 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Liberty has looked really good in their games this season with their 11-0 record overall and their 7-0 conference record which has them as the best team in the conference this year. They are going to be in the Conference USA Championship but they still have lots to play for here with their undefeated season on the line. Meanwhile, UTEP has looked terrible in their games this year with their 3-8 record overall and their 2-5 conference record. They haven't even been good in their home games with their 1-4 home record this season. Liberty is the best team in the conference this year but they also have a really strong running game that is going to control the pace of this game. UTEP isn't going to have the ball a lot in this game so scoring a lot of points will be tough, especially when Liberty starts to pull away throughout the game. UTEP already has 8 losses this season too so they have nothing left to play for in this game. The best way to place a bet here is on Liberty to cover the spread in this game.
Liberty UTEP Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, November 25, 2023 (3:30 pm ET start time) is Liberty 42 UTEP 13.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Liberty Flames UTEP Miners prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.
NCAAF Betting Trends
Liberty Flames: 8-3 ATS in all games. 29-14 ATS in road games. 9-3 ATS when the total is between 56.5 and 63. 11-4 UNDER off 1 or more straight overs. 13-5 UNDER after a win by 21 or more points. 8-4 UNDER after playing a game where 60 total points or more were scored.
UTEP Miners: 10-22 ATS in a home game where the total is between 56.5 and 63. 12-25 ATS after gaining 325 or more passing yards in the last game. 14-26 ATS off a road cover where the team lost as an underdog. 8-2 UNDER as a home underdog. 10-5 UNDER after playing their last game on the road.
Key Injuries
Liberty Flames: T. Sibley (WR) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. B. Hanshaw (TE) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. V. Blue (RB) Out indefinitely - Upper Body. J. Jenkins (TE) out for season - Eligibility. V. Jones Jr. (WR) out for season - Knee. R. Smith (WR) out for season - Knee.
UTEP Miners: T. Burgess Jr. (RB) Ques Sat - Concussion. M. Bellon (WR) Ques Sat - Leg. T. Smith (WR) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. J. Clarke (WR) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. S. Hubbard (OL) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. J. McNamara (QB) Out indefinitely - Concussion. G. Hardison (QB) Out indefinitely - Arm. J. Ezinwa (TE) out for season - Redshirt. T. Moore (CB) out for season - Redshirt. A. Dumas (RB) Out indefinitely - Eligibility.
Notable Quotes
“That’s two weeks in a row we started well and as a coach, we’ve got to figure out how ... to finish with that same intensity through all four quarters. But it was it was good to see us come out like that.” - Jamey Chadwell after his team’s win against UMass in their last game.
“There’s outside noise in every program at every level. That’s the case whenever you don’t have a good season, or even with some programs when you have eight-win seasons. If a coach ever gets on social media or does anything, he’ll really curb his opinion on things, he’ll change how he coaches his teams.” - Dana Dimel on his team’s upcoming game against Liberty this week.
Starting Lineups
Liberty Flames
WR Daniels, CJ
WR Frith, Noah
WR Smoot, Elijah
TE Henderson, Austin
QB Salter, Kaidon
RB Bedgood, Aaron
RB Cooley, Quinton
UTEP Miners
WR Ballard, Jeremiah
WR Akharaiyi, Kelly
WR White, Emari
TE Fryar, Zach
QB McConnell, Cade
RB Hankins, Deion
FB Lopez, Julian
Statistical Leaders
Liberty Flames
Passing: K. Salter (2409)
Rushing: Q. Cooley (1168)
Receiving: C. Daniels (819)
Touchdowns: K. Salter (11)
UTEP Miners
Passing: C. McConnell (1273)
Rushing: D. Hankins (794)
Receiving: K. Akharaiyi (924)
Touchdowns: K. Akharaiyi (7)
Coaches:
Liberty Flames: Jamey Chadwell (1st season)
UTEP Miners: Dana Dimel (6th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
