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It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a UTEP San Jose State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch UTEP San Jose State.
Tim Miles is in the midst of riding out one of the toughest jobs in college basketball: coaching at San Jose State. This is not one of the glamorous jobs in the sport. SJSU has consistently been a lower-tier program in the Mountain West Conference. The coaches who take this job know they are in for an uphill battle. There is definitely an “if I can succeed here, I know I can succeed anywhere” vibe to this job. It is either a place for young coaches on the rise who want to challenge themselves, or coaches who have tried the power conference route and have risen high in the ranks and get knocked down a peg. Miles fits the latter category. For those kinds of coaches — who reach the big time but have a hard time staying in the top tier of college basketball jobs — SJSU is the landing spot lower on the food chain. That’s Miles, who coached for several years at Nebraska and did guide the Huskers to the NCAA Tournament but could not make NU an enduring force in the Big Ten. Miles took the Nebraska job because he loves taking on a challenge; it’s no surprise that he was interested in trying to pull off the mountain climb of coaching at San Jose State.
Mount Everest is waiting to be tackled; that’s how daunting SJSU’s task is this season.
The Spartans’ season began with a brutal loss at home to Western Illinois. Then San Jose State lost by 13 points at home to the Pacific. San Jose State has been tossed around in a rocky campaign. The Spartans haven’t been especially good at either end of the floor; they have to be developed and built from the ground up. Miles entered this season with no real advantages. Once the season began, it has proved to be difficult to squeeze production out of this roster.
You get the point: This is not a quick fix; this is a long-term project. What Tim Miles does this season will try to lay the groundwork for the following season. Improving San Jose State basketball does not happen quickly. It’s a process.
Before we go any further with this betting overview, we need to point out that this game against UTEP is a neutral-site game being played in Henderson, Nevada.
Here are the UTEP-San Jose State College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: UTEP-San Jose State Odds
UTEP: -4.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -215
San Jose State: +4.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +176
Over: 136.5 (-110)
Under: 136.5 (-110)
How to Watch UTEP vs San Jose State
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT
TV: Local Cable
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
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Why UTEP Will Cover The Spread/Win
San Jose State just doesn’t represent a supremely formidable opponent. The Spartans might be scrappy and put up some resistance, but they do not have high-end skills or quality. Over the course of 40 minutes, that will show up, and it will enable UTEP to win. If UTEP could beat Cal Santa Barbara — one of the better mid-majors on the West Coast — it should beat SJSU by at least five points.
Why San Jose State Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Spartans gave USC a real battle several days ago on the road and successfully covered the spread versus the Trojans. This is not an especially good team, but it fights hard and is not inclined to get blown out. SJSU can stay close enough to cover.
Final UTEP-San Jose State Prediction & Pick
The spread is small enough that trusting UTEP seems warranted. Take UTEP.
Final UTEP-San Jose State Prediction & Pick: UTEP -4.5
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