If you want more Action Network content, be sure to add us as a preferred source on Google.
The Northern Kentucky Norse take on the UTEP Miners in Sioux Falls, SD. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET on YouTube.
Advertisement
UTEP is favored by -1.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -130. The total is set at 147.5 points.
Here’s my Northern Kentucky vs. UTEP prediction and college basketball picks for November 2, 2026.
Northern Kentucky vs UTEP Prediction
Pick: UTEP -1.5 (Play to -3.5)
My Northern Kentucky vs UTEP best bet is on the Miners to cover the spread. Be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page and download the Action Network app for the latest picks and analysis.
Northern Kentucky vs. UTEP Odds
-
Northern Kentucky vs UTEP spread: Northern Kentucky +1.5 (-112), UTEP -1.5 (-108)
-
Northern Kentucky vs UTEP over/under: 147.5 (-110o / -110u)
-
Northern Kentucky vs UTEP moneyline: Northern Kentucky +110, UTEP -130
Northern Kentucky vs UTEP College Basketball Preview
Northern Kentucky has fallen behind in the Horizon League, finishing outside the top five in three straight seasons. That’s a shock to the system after finishing top-three for a half-decade at the start of the Darrin Horn era.
Advertisement
So, what will the Norse have this year? The lone returning starter is point guard Elijah Elliott, who averaged 4.6 assists per game as a freshman. Elliot received valuable experience as the lead guard, but he’s not much of a scorer. He needs the pieces around him to utilize his brilliant passing.
Who’s the Norse’s go-to scorer? That’s a real question mark. They lost Donovan Oday, and I don’t see a player of that level on this roster.
One big name is BJ Davis-Ray, a three-star wing who started his career at SMU. It could also be Eric Acker, who arrived pouring in 10 points per game during his freshman year at Long Island, but fell to five points per game at La Salle.
I’m not sold at all on Northern Kentucky’s offensive talent. Davis-Ray never showed much shooting at SMU, Elliott isn’t a shooter and neither are most of the bigs.
Advertisement
There are a lot of questions for Horn and the Norse to answer in game one.
Is it safe to call this a make-or-break season for Joe Golding at UTEP? The Miners are coming off a brutal 11-20 campaign, and now they head into the Mountain West with no expectations.
I’ll give Golding credit. His offseason moves give me some optimism because the guard play wasn’t good enough last season. Instead, the staff addressed it through the portal, starting with Leif Moeller, a 6-foot-7 point guard from Evansville.
Moeller is different from most Golding point guards, so that should allow for more half-court success.
Advertisement
Moeller isn’t the only good incoming guard; the Miners also added Reese Miller, a dynamic scorer from William & Mary, and Jace Whiting, a veteran lead guard from Weber State.
Golding has experience adding JUCO players, and Cam McDaniels, who averaged 17 points per game at John A. Logan, could be the latest.
The other name to keep an eye on is Ryan Jackson Jr., a 6-foot-6, 215-pound defensive ace, who could be the head of Golding’s defensive pressure.
The coach has a deep group of perimeter players that’ll let him keep his ethos of defensive pressure. It should also help solve constant offensive issues with skilled players like Moeller and Miller.
Advertisement
In the frontcourt, it’s a real “to be determined” for UTEP. Last year, Elijah Jones, Kaseem Watson and Jamal West Jr. kept the Miners afloat at times. Now, it’s more uncertain with Ole Miss transfer Augusto Cassia and East Carolina transfer Reid Cason coming in.
I don’t expect much scoring outside eight feet from that duo, so the guard production will be even more pivotal.
The line feels a bit short. UTEP is a vastly more talented bunch, despite my respect for Horn’s coaching chops.
I’ll lay the -1.5 with the Miners to -3.5.
Their improved guard play should help them beat the Norse in the opener.
Advertisement
Pick: UTEP -1.5 (Play to -3.5)