Delaware Blue Hens vs UTEP Miners Prediction, 1/31/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Delaware Blue Hens vs UTEP Miners

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Location: Don Haskins Center in El Paso, TX

TV: ESPN+

Don Haskins Center is the site where the UTEP Miners (7-14) will try to defeat the Delaware Blue Hens (6-14) on Saturday.

The Delaware Blue Hens played New Mexico State and went home with a win by a final score of 73-64 in their last contest. Delaware wrapped up the game having earned a 53.2% FG percentage (25 of 47) and buried 8 of their 22 shots from downtown. When they shot from the free throw line, the Blue Hens made 15 of 15 attempts for a rate of 100.0%. In the matter of pulling down boards, they earned 23 with 2 of them being on the offensive end. They also recorded 8 dimes in this matchup while forcing the other team into 10 turnovers and earning 8 steals. In terms of defending, Delaware allowed the other team to shoot 41.4% from the floor on 24 out of 58 shooting. New Mexico State doled out 17 assists and had 6 steals in the game. Additionally, New Mexico State collected 27 rebounds (10 offensive, 17 defensive), but didn't notch a block. New Mexico State walked away from this one shooting 75.0% at the charity stripe by burying 6 of 8 shots. They also made 10 out of their 30 shots from distance. In the matter of fouls, the Blue Hens ended up finishing with 7 while New Mexico State accumulated 11 fouls.

Christian Bliss is one player who was a major factor for this game. He scored 23 points on 8 of 10 shooting. He played for 38 minutes and also pulled down 6 boards. He shot 80.0% from the floor and dished out 4 assists.

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Delaware comes into this game with a record of 6-14 this season. They are losing possession via turnover 12.2 times per game and as a group are committing 14.2 fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, Delaware is grabbing 31.6 rebounds per contest and has 254 dimes so far this season, which has them ranked 309th in the nation in terms of passing the rock. The Blue Hens are connecting on 36.0% from downtown (169 of 469) and 73.0% from the charity stripe. They are averaging 65.8 points per outing (351st in the country) while shooting 44.3% from the field.

Defensively, the Blue Hens are able to force 9.3 turnovers per game while drawing 13.8 personal fouls. They are relinquishing 33.7% on 3-pointers and they are 125th in college in points per game allowed (71.5). The Blue Hens defense is allowing an opponent FG percentage of 42.6% (501 of 1,175) and they surrender 35.0 rebounds per game as a squad. They are 191st in college in giving up assists to their opponents with 282 conceded on the season.

In their last game, the UTEP Miners took a loss by a final score of 69-59 when they faced Louisiana Tech. The Miners recorded 18 defensive rebounds and 6 offensive rebounds for a total of 24 in this matchup. They also gave up possession of the ball 10 times, while earning 7 steals in the matchup. Louisiana Tech earned 16 fouls for the matchup which got the Miners to the free throw line for a total of 19 attempts. They were able to knock down 17 of the free throws for a rate of 89.5%. In reference to three-point attempts, UTEP buried 8 of 23 attempts (34.8%). Overall, the Miners went 17 for 54 from the field which had them sitting at 31.5%. The Miners permitted Louisiana Tech to convert 24 of their 53 tries from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 45.3% for the game. They wrapped up this game 43.8% from three-point range by hitting 7 out of 16 and ended up going 14 of 18 from the charity stripe (77.8%). In reference to rebounding, UTEP permitted Louisiana Tech to snag 38 overall (13 on the offensive glass).

Elijah Jones was important for the Miners in this game. He converted 6 out of 15 in this game giving him a rate of 40.0%, and had 4 rebounds. He recorded 25 points in his 31 minutes on the court, but wasn't able to earn an assist.

UTEP has a win-loss record of 7-14 on the campaign. When it comes to offensive execution, the Miners are shooting 43.1% from the field, which ranks 294th in college hoops. UTEP has accounted for 1,455 points this season (69.3 per contest) and they average 32.0 boards per contest. They are earning an assist 12.6 times per game (293rd in the nation) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 12.2 times per contest. The Miners are committing 18.9 fouls per contest and they shoot 68.6% from the charity stripe.

The Miners on defense are ranked 140th in college in points per game surrendered with 72.3. They are forcing their opponents into 13.4 turnovers on a nightly basis and allow teams to shoot 45.8% from the field (284th in the country). The UTEP defense allows 35.6% on shots from beyond the perimeter (146 of 410) and their opponents are converting on 69.7% of their shots from the free throw line. They have relinquished 12.9 assists and 35.4 rebounds per contest, which is ranked 142nd and 234th in those defensive categories.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Delaware

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