FIU Panthers vs UTEP Miners Prediction, 1/22/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: FIU Panthers vs UTEP Miners

Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026

Location: Don Haskins Center in El Paso, TX

TV: ESPN+

Don Haskins Center is where the UTEP Miners (6-12) will take on the FIU Panthers (9-9) on Thursday.

The FIU Panthers took the court against Sam Houston State and ended up losing by a score of 76-63 in their last contest. FIU ended the contest with a 29.4% FG percentage (15 of 51) and made 9 of 21 shots from beyond the perimeter. From the charity stripe, the Panthers made 24 of their 39 attempts for a percentage of 61.5%. In the matter of grabbing boards, they earned 39 with 13 of them being offensive. They also recorded 11 assists in the matchup as well as creating 16 turnovers and earning 10 steals. Regarding defense, FIU allowed the other team to go 44.1% from the field on 26 of 59 shooting. Sam Houston State dished out 19 dimes and had 10 steals for the contest. Furthermore, Sam Houston State grabbed 35 boards (8 offensive, 27 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Sam Houston State finished shooting 53.8% from the free throw line by knocking down 14 of 26 tries. They converted 10 of 29 shots from beyond the arc. Concerning fouls, the Panthers ended up finishing with 23 while Sam Houston State accumulated 23 fouls.

Julian Mackey is one player who came through in the game. He notched 23 points on 5 of 13 shooting. He played 26 mins and also collected 5 boards. He finished the contest at 38.5% from the field and also totaled 3 assists.

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FIU heads into this game with a mark of 9-9 on the year. They average 83.7 points per outing (59th in D-1) while shooting 46.0% from the field. The Panthers are hitting 35.8% on 3-point shots (145 of 405) and 67.5% from the charity stripe. As a team, FIU is collecting 39.2 rebounds per game and has totaled 304 dimes so far this season, which is 67th in the nation in terms of passing the rock. They are turning it over 12.9 times per contest and as a team are committing 18.8 fouls per game.

When they are on defense, the Panthers are able to force 15.8 turnovers every game while drawing 19.6 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 340th in college hoops in giving up assists to their opponents with 308 conceded for the season. The Panthers defense is allowing an opponent FG percentage of 42.7% (483 of 1,131) and they concede 37.3 rebounds per game as a group. They are giving up 34.4% on shots from downtown and they are ranked 303rd in D-1 in PPG allowed (78.3).

In their last game, the UTEP Miners took a loss by a final score of 80-69 when they played Liberty. Concerning rebounding, UTEP permitted Liberty to snag 20 in all (4 offensive). They went 35.0% from 3-point land by shooting 7 of 20 and walked away from this one shooting 9 out of 11 at the free throw line (81.8%). The Miners permitted Liberty to make 32 of 54 attempts from the floor which had them shooting 59.3% for this contest. When the final whistle blew, the Miners shot 28 for 51 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 54.9%. In regard to shots from beyond the perimeter, UTEP converted 11 of their 23 tries (47.8%). They were able to knock down 2 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 50.0%. Liberty had 7 personal fouls in this matchup which took the Miners to the free throw line for 4 attempts. They turned it over 12 times, while earning 4 steals for the game. The Miners snagged 18 defensive rebounds and 1 offensive boards totaling 19 in this matchup.

Elijah Jones pitched in for the Miners in this matchup. He earned 21 points in his 34 mins on the court, but wasn't able to earn an assist. He made 9 out of 16 in the game for a field goal percentage of 56.3%, and had 7 rebounds.

UTEP has a mark of 6-12 for the campaign. As an offensive unit, the Miners are hitting on 43.4% from the floor, which is 283rd in the country. UTEP has scored 1,256 points so far this season (69.8 per game) and they average 32.7 rebounds per game. They are dishing out assists 12.3 times per contest (306th in Division 1) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 12.2 times per contest. The Miners commit 19.1 fouls per game while shooting 67.1% from the free throw line.

The UTEP defense gives up 35.3% on three-point shots (128 of 363) and their opponents are making 69.6% of their shots from the free throw line. They have relinquished 13.3 dimes and 35.2 rebounds per game, which ranks 179th and 224th in those defensive categories. The Miners on defense are ranked 157th in college in PPG given up with 72.8. They are forcing their opponents into 13.2 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 45.7% from the field (286th in college).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take UTEP

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