UTEP Miners vs Sam Houston State Bearkats Prediction, 2/4/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UTEP Miners vs Sam Houston State Bearkats

Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Location: Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, TX

TV: ESPN+

The Sam Houston State Bearkats (15-7) host the UTEP Miners (8-14) at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum on Wednesday.

The UTEP Miners stepped onto the hardwood against Delaware and took home the win by a score of 70-55 in their last contest. In reference to fouls, the Miners ended up finishing with 16 and Delaware totaled 16 fouls. They buried 2 of 23 shots from downtown. Delaware ended up shooting 93.1% when shooting free throws by converting 27 of their 29 shots. On top of that, Delaware collected 37 rebounds (13 offensive, 24 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. Delaware recorded 7 assists and had 5 steals for this game. With regard to defense, UTEP allowed 26.5% from the floor on 13 of 49 shooting. They also recorded 13 assists in the matchup as well as forcing the opposition into 14 turnovers and earning 12 steals. With respect to grabbing rebounds, they collected 34 with 13 of them being on the offensive end. From the free throw line, the Miners knocked down 20 of their 25 tries for a percentage of 80.0%. UTEP walked away from the game with a 38.6% FG percentage (22 out of 57) and knocked down 6 out of their 16 3-point attempts.

Elijah Jones is a guy who was a major factor for the contest. He ended up with 15 points on 7 out of 17 shooting. He played for 29 minutes and also pulled down 12 boards. He shot 41.2% from the floor and recorded 1 assist.

Get all of our NCAA Parlay Picks

UTEP enters this one with a mark of 8-14 this season. They are averaging 69.3 pts per contest (321st in the country) while shooting 42.9% from the field. The Miners are shooting 33.7% on shots from downtown (156 of 463) and 69.3% from the charity stripe. As a team, UTEP is grabbing 32.2 boards per contest and has 278 dimes on the season, which has them ranked 296th in Division 1 in terms of passing. They turn it over 12.0 times per game and as a team are committing 18.7 personal fouls every game.

On the defensive end of the court, the Miners have forced 13.5 turnovers per contest and they draw 16.1 personal fouls. They surrender 34.2% on 3-pointers and they rank 123rd in college in points per game from their opponents (71.5). The Miners defense is giving up a field goal percentage of 45.0% (523 of 1,162) and they surrender 35.5 boards per contest as a squad. They are ranked 105th in college hoops in allowing assists to the opposition with 277 conceded on the campaign.

When they last stepped on the court, the Sam Houston State Bearkats went home victorious with a score of 83-67 against Louisiana Tech. With respect to attacking the glass, Sam Houston State permitted Louisiana Tech to get 34 in total (14 on the offensive side). They shot 27.8% from distance by connecting on 5 out of 18 and ended up going 12 out of 19 from the free throw line (63.2%). The Bearkats allowed Louisiana Tech to convert 25 of their 59 attempts from the floor which left them with a rate of 42.4% for this contest. At the conclusion of this game, the Bearkats ended up going 27 for 55 from the floor which had them shooting 49.1%. When it comes to shots from beyond the arc, Sam Houston State made 5 out of 14 attempts (35.7%). They were able to convert 24 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 66.7%. Louisiana Tech was called for 20 personal fouls for the game which got the Bearkats to the free throw line for a total of 36 tries. They coughed up the ball 6 times, while getting 5 steals for this game. The Bearkats were able to corral 20 defensive boards and 8 offensive rebounds for a total of 28 for the game.

Jacob Walker ended up having an impact for the Bearkats for the game. He converted 7 of 11 in this contest for a rate of 63.6%, but went home without a rebound. He scored 20 points in his 30 minutes on the hardwood and had 2 assists for this contest.

Sam Houston State has a record of 15-7 on the campaign. When it comes to offensive execution, the Bearkats are connecting on 47.1% from the field, which is ranked 76th in D-1. Sam Houston State has tallied 1,843 points so far this year (83.8 per contest) and they grab 41.6 rebounds per contest. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 15.7 times per game (89th in college) and they are turning it over 12.0 times per game. The Bearkats are committing 18.1 personal fouls every game and they connect on 71.5% from the charity stripe.

The Bearkats on defense are ranked 182nd in D-1 in PPG surrendered with 73.5. They are able to force 12.4 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 41.0% from the floor (46th in the nation). The Sam Houston State defense surrenders 31.4% on shots from beyond the perimeter (185 of 590) and their opponents are connecting on 69.4% of their shots from the charity stripe. They give up 12.5 assists and 34.4 total rebounds per game, which is 108th and 183rd in college.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take UTEP

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.