Fresno State vs. UTEP Odds, Date: Opening Spread, Total for 2021 New Mexico Bowl

Fresno State vs. UTEP Odds

Fresno State is set to take on UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 18 at Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

SugarHouse opened Fresno State as a 14.5-point favorite in this game, with the total at 51.5.

Find our expert's projected odds, a recap of each team's seasons, plus more information on the New Mexico Bowl below.

Fresno State vs. UTEP Projected Odds

These Fresno State vs. UTEP projections are based on Collin Wilson's college football power ratings, which help power our PRO Projections — they compare all of his projections to real-time college football odds in order to easily identify betting edges.

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How Fresno State Reached the New Mexico Bowl

Fresno State was a force in 2021, with the talent to play in the conference title game. However, the Bulldogs left some meat on the bone, losing to Hawai’i as double-digit favorites and falling later in the season to an underwhelming Boise State as four-point chalk.

Fresno State hung with Oregon for four quarters in Week 1 then beat UCLA as a double-digit ‘dog, part of a four-win streak against the spread out of the gate.

Overall, the Bulldogs’ 8-4 cover mark tied for the best in the Mountain West.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer compiled a 12-6 record in his short, two-year stint with the Bulldogs. He’s off to Washington, filling the vacant position left by Jimmy Lake.

Quarterback Jake Haener, who piloted the ninth-best passing attack in the country, has entered the transfer portal.

How UTEP Reached the New Mexico Bowl

The Conference USA put up a solid regular season.

Western Kentucky and UTSA met in the title game; North Texas and Old Dominion both covered nine of their respective 12 contests.

Swept under the rug was UTEP, which shattered its preseason win total en route to a 7-5 campaign.

The Miners started the year on a blistering 6-2 run against the spread. They became bowl eligible on Oct. 16 with a win over Louisiana Tech.

The defense, which finished top-30 nationally in passing yards and total yards allowed per game, held six of its final nine teams under the team total.

UTEP is looking for its first bowl win since 1967, the longest drought in the FBS. The program has dropped each of the last six appearances.

Fresno State vs. UTEP Matchup Analysis

Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Fresno State and UTEP match up statistically:

Fresno State Offense vs. UTEP Defense

	Offense	Defense	Edge
Rush Success	113	18
Line Yards	109	15
Pass Success	11	30
Pass Blocking**	99	57
Big Play	56	10
Havoc	44	31
Finishing Drives	66	72
** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.)

UTEP Offense vs. Fresno State Defense

	Offense	Defense	Edge
Rush Success	120	33
Line Yards	125	21
Pass Success	20	8
Pass Blocking**	39	38
Big Play	70	22
Havoc	56	5
Finishing Drives	99	43
** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.)

Pace of Play / Other

PFF Tackling	21	11
Coverage	7	83
Middle 8	30	98
SP+ Special Teams	68	52
Plays per Minute	53	—
Rush Rate	46.1% (121)	57.1% (47)

New Mexico Bowl Date, Time, TV, More Info

• Date: Dec. 18
• Time: 2:15 p.m. ET
• Location: Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico
• TV Info: ESPN

The New Mexico Bowl has been around since 2006, and currently features tie-ins with the Mountain West and Conference USA.

In 2020, the game moved to Frisco, Texas, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New Mexico Bowl is a betting favorite because it’s in the heart of the first day of bowl season, always broadcast on ESPN, and has on many occasions featured high-scoring offenses

We’ve seen some terrific contests played in Albuquerque over the years — Arizona beat Nevada 49-48 in 2012, and Colorado State beat Washington State 48-45 in an all-time heartbreaker for Cougars bettors in 2013.