UTEP Miners vs. Butler Bulldogs Betting Odds

Opening Line: Butler -2.5 / UTEP +2.5 O/U 133

Time: 4:45 PM EST Thursday March 18, 2010

In the opening game for both teams in the Big Dance in the Midwest region the 5th seeded Butler Bulldogs face the UTEP Miners. This game is tough for each team, but they are also in the toughest region, as the Midwest is stacked. Butler ended the season on fire, as they not only won the Horizon League, going undefeated, and the conference tournament, but they won their last 20 games.

UTEP won the Conference USA regular season title, but lost in the conference tournament finals. Before the C-USA title game the Miners had won their last 16 games.

This season Butler was 13-19 ATS and UTEP was 14-13-1 ATS.

In their last games of the regular season UTEP lost to Houston 81-73 in the C-USA championship game on Saturday while Butler crushed Wright State 70-45 in the Horizon League title game.

Butler have a very well-balanced offense with 2 forwards, a guard, and a guard/forward averaging in double figures led by G/F Gordon Hayward (15.4 ppg). Hayward will not only have to give the Bulldogs offense, but will have to play well on the boards.

Butler is a solid 3-point shooting team and UTEP will have to play good perimeter defense and not allow the Bulldogs to bomb away from deep.

UTEP is led by their frontcourt with 3 forwards averaging in double figures, but their leading scorer is G Randy Culpepper (18 ppg). The Miners will have to figure out a way to score on a great Butler defense, which is only giving up an average of 60 ppg.

UTEP does have a better frontcourt and they have a better rebounding team. If they can control the glass and play good perimeter defense they have a solid shot to win this game.

Butler will not be intimidated playing a school from a bigger conference, as they played a killer early-season schedule losing to Minnesota, Clemson, and Georgetown, before beating Ohio State and Xavier. All 5 of these teams Butler played before the Horizon league began are playing in the NCAA tournament.

UTEP did not beat one team this season that was ranked in the top 25.

Betting Trends

UTEP is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog, 2-5 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games, and has an Under record of 8-2 in their last 10 games following a loss.

Butler is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS win, 1-7 ATS in their last 8 neutral site games, and has an Under record of 5-0 in their last 5 games.

Our Selection : Take Butler -2.5