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The Arizona Wildcats look to close out their regular season non-conference schedule with a winning record as they host the UTEP Miners on Saturday night. Arizona, 1-1, enters off a heartbreaking 31-24 overtime defeat at Mississippi State. UTEP, 1-2, gave up 38 unanswered points in a loss at Northwestern last Saturday. The teams have only met once, in El Paso in 2017, a a 63-16 Wildcats victory.

Kickoff is scheduled for 11 p.m. ET at Arizona Stadium in Tucson. The latest Arizona vs. UTEP odds via the SportsLine consensus list the Wildcats as an 18-point favorite, with the over/under at 57. Before making any UTEP vs. Arizona picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model. 

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of nearly $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen HUGE returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Arizona vs. UTEP and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for UTEP vs. Arizona:

  • UTEP vs. Arizona spread: Arizona -18
  • UTEP vs. Arizona over/under: 57 points
  • UTEP vs. Arizona money line: Arizona -893, UTEP +584
  • UTEP vs. Arizona picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why UTEP can cover 

The Miners will have to play a lot better than they did last week in order to make it a close game in Tucson. After scoring on the first possession of the game, UTEP was held scoreless over the final 56 minutes, allowing the Big 10's Wildcats to score 38 unanswered points in a rout. Quarterback Gavin Hardison has thrown for 494 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions in the three games thus far this season, coming off an 11 TD passing, eight interception season in 2022.

For UTEP to cover the spread on Saturday night, it will need to be close in the turnover battle after recording no takeaways and Hardison throwing three interceptions last week. Arizona did commit five turnovers in Starkville, so a quick start by the Miners may put the Wildcats on edge. Junior running back Deion Hankins struggled against Northwestern (7 carries, 27 yards) but rushed for 174 yards on 24 carries the previous week in the team's win against Incarnate Word.

Why Arizona can cover

Quite simply, it seems like a stretch for the Wildcats to cover when they lose the turnover battle by four. Despite QB Jayden de Laura throwing for 342 yards with two touchdowns and one on the ground, Arizona fell short in overtime after a first down run was overturned by replay to end the game. De Laura's top target on Saturday was sophomore WR Tetairoa McMillan, who hauled in eight passes for 161 yards. Running back Michael Wiley also caught eight passes for 60 yards, while rushing for 33 yards on 11 carries.

The Wildcats' defense looks to be improved thus far in 2023, holding the Bulldogs to only 307 yards. Linebackers Jacob Manu and Oregon transfer Justin Flowe each recorded 12 tackles, as the Wildcats held Mississippi State to ten second half points to rally from a halftime deficit. Against a team with far less playmakers than the SEC's Bulldogs, Arizona should win the game with only the final margin in question. See which team to pick here.

How to make UTEP vs. Arizona picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine. 

So who wins Arizona vs. UTEP, and which side of the spread cashes in nearly 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the UTEP vs. Arizona spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer model that's up nearly $2,500 on its top-rated college football spread picks since its inception, and find out.