Kennesaw State Owls vs UTEP Miners Point Spread Picks

The record shows UTEP has a five-game losing streak. What it doesn't show is that the Miners' offense has picked up a new dimension with dual-threat quarterback Skyler Locklear. He threw for 236 yards and scored another two touchdowns rushing to lead the Miners past Sam Houston State, 35-17, as a 3.5-point road favorite in their last game. That was back on Oct. 15th, so the Miners' confidence level has risen, and they have had ample rest and preparation time for this Tuesday's game. Locklear is an upgrade at quarterback for UTEP. The Miners didn't use Locklear when they played Texas earlier in the season and only lost to the Longhorns, 27-10, earning an easy cover. The combination of Locklear and a solid defense can keep the Miners firmly within this point spread. UTEP ranks 44th in pass defense and 58th in total defense. Kennesaw State is tied for first in Conference USA at 3-0, but the league is wide open without any dominant powers. The Owls' three Conference USA victories have come against Florida International, Louisiana Tech, and Middle Tennessee State. The combined conference record of those three teams is 3-7. Kennesaw State is 87th in scoring, averaging 25.3 points a game. The Owls aren't anything special on defense either. They rank 104th in pass defense and 93rd in rush defense. Take UTEP. 

Kennesaw State has lost all four of its road games. The offense is dreadful averaging 3.0 yards per carry while three QBs have combined for 3 TDs and 10 picks. The offense ranks 131st in total yards and in points (15.1 per game), while the defense is 107th allowing 428.1 yards per game, and 102nd in points given up (32.1 per game). Kennesaw State is on a 2-6 spread run. UTEP has home field and hasn't packed in the season. Over the last three games, they beat Florida International (30-21) as a +7 dog, lost 14-10 at Louisiana Tech as a +6.5 dog, along with a 20-13 loss to Middle Tennessee State. Play UTEP.