Western Kentucky vs. UTEP prediction, odds, line: 2024 college football Week 7 Thursday picks by proven model

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (3-2) and the UTEP Miners (0-5) meet up in a Conference USA matchup on Thursday night as Western Kentucky looks to remain undefeated in the conference and UTEP looks to win its first game of the season. Western Kentucky defeated Middle Tennessee, 49-21, on Sept. 14 in its only Conference USA game this year. UTEP has lost two games by a combined 69-31 in conference play this season. The Hilltoppers are coming off a late 21-20 loss to Boston College in non-conference play after being outscored, 14-0, in the fourth quarter on Sept. 28. UTEP is coming off a 41-21 loss to Sam Houston on Thursday for its eighth straight loss dating back to last season.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET from WKU's Houchens Industries L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Ky. The Hilltoppers are 19.5-point favorites in the latest UTEP vs. Western Kentucky odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 57.5. Before making any Western Kentucky vs. UTEP picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model .

The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. It has generated a profit of over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks since inception, and is 8-4 on top-rated college football picks over the past two weeks of this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen strong returns.

The model has set its sights on WKU vs. UTEP . You can head to SportsLine to see its picks . Here are several college football betting lines for the spread , money line and over/under for the UTEP vs. WKU game:

• Western Kentucky vs. UTEP spread: Western Kentucky -19.5
  
• Western Kentucky vs. UTEP over/under: 57.5 points
• Western Kentucky vs. UTEP: Western Kentucky -1124, UTEP +686
• WK: The Hilltoppers are 4-0 ATS over their last four games
• UTEP: The Miners are 6-4 ATS in conference games since the start of last season
• Western Kentucky vs. UTEP: See picks at SportsLine
• Western Kentucky vs. UTEP streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)

Why you should back Western Kentucky

Sophomore quarterback Caden Veltkamp has taken advantage of his opportunity since becoming the starting quarterback following a leg injury to TJ Finley . Veltkamp has led Western Kentucky to a 2-1 record in the three games he's played significant snaps since Finley suffered the injury and he's averaging 290.7 passing yards per game in those contests. The 6-foot-6 QB is completing 70.4% of his passes this season and has 11 touchdowns (eight passing) with three interceptions over his last three games. Veltkamp completed 27 of 30 passes (90%) for 398 yards and five touchdowns while adding a rushing score in relief for Finley against Middle Tennessee in Western Kentucky's only Conference USA game so far this season, which resulted in a 49-21 victory. Veltkamp will start again on Thursday.

The Hilltoppers nearly upset Boston College last week as 7.5-point underdogs. They led 20-7 entering the fourth quarter before Boston College scored two touchdowns in the final period. But Western Kentucky's ability to play with an ACC school shows promise for its Conference USA season as the Hilltoppers are 19-6 in conference play since the start of 2021. See which team to pick here .

Why you should back UTEP

Although UTEP is 0-5 this season, the Miners have only lost one game by more than 20 points this season and that came in the season opener against a clearly superior Nebraska program. The Miners went 3-2 ATS as an away underdog last season and even during their eight-game losing streak dating back to last season, only one loss came by more than 20 points. UTEP is coming off back-to-back seasons with losing records, so although its hopes of pulling out an outright victory may be slim, the track record proves the Miners are a team that can cover the spread and stick with teams better than the oddsmaker suspect.

UTEP is coming off one of its better offensive performances, scoring 21 points in a 41-21 loss to Sam Houston last week despite averaging 13.8 points per game. Junior quarterback Cade McConnell has taken over as the QB1 midseason for UTEP and he completed 15 of 28 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown with an interception last week. McConnell finished last season as the starter for the Miners, so he has starter experience as he looks to retain the QB1 position in Scotty Walden's first season as head coach. See which team to pick here .

How to make Western Kentucky vs. UTEP picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 57 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins UTEP vs. Western Kentucky, and which side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Western Kentucky vs. UTEP spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,000 on its FBS college football picks since its inception, and find out.