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UTSA vs. FIU Picks, Predictions College Football Week 7: Roadrunners Look for Easy Win

Mike Spector

Last Updated: October 14, 2022 5:18 AM EDT • 2 min 38 sec read.

Quarterback Frank Harris #0 of the UTSA Roadrunners runs for a touchdown against Texas Southern Tigers at the Alamodome on September 24, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas.
Quarterback Frank Harris #0 of the UTSA Roadrunners runs for a touchdown against Texas Southern Tigers at the Alamodome on September 24, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas. Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images via AFP.

The UTSA Roadrunners come into Friday's clash with the FIU Panthers at 4-2 overall and 2-0 in Conference-USA play. Check out our picks for UTSA and FIU's Friday night clash.

Florida International University is 2-3 straight up and started 0-1 in conference play with a humbling 73-0 loss to Western Kentucky on September 24. However, the Panthers rebounded to dump New Mexico State 21-7 the next week.

FIU won the last two head-to-head meetings with the most recent coming in the form of a 45-7 win in 2018. The Panthers closed as 10.5-point favorites.

Here are our top picks for the college football Week 7 game between UTSA and FIU (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook and Caesars Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

UTSA vs. FIU Info

Date: Friday, Oct. 14, 8 p.m. ET
TV: CBSSN
Location: Riccardo Silva Stadium, Miami, FL
Weather: 84 degrees, 47% chance of precipitation, 8 mph N wind

UTSA vs. FIU Odds Analysis

Bettors are slightly split on this spread. As a result, it has stayed flat at the consensus opening line of UTSA -33. Sixty-five percent of the ATS tickets are on the host Panthers but those tickets account for just 47% of the handle.

The Over/Under has ticked up by a half point from the opening line of 63. The 62% of tickets on the Over account for 82% of the handle.

UTSA vs. FIU Picks

  • Spread: UTSA -33 (-110 via Caesars) ★★
  • Over/Under: Over 62 (-110 via Caesars) ★★★
  • Game Prop: UTSA -18 First Half Spread (-122 via FanDuel) ★★★

UTSA vs. FIU ATS Pick

UTSA -33 (-110) ★★

UTSA received 14 of 22 first-place votes in the preseason C-USA poll and is proving why it's the class of the conference. Quarterback Frank Harris is 43 passing yards shy of leading the conference, and he also ranks second among all primary starting C-USA quarterbacks with a 158.1 rating.

The Roadrunners' 4-2 record could be even better if they received a bounce or two during the three-overtime loss in their season opener against Houston. UTSA outgained Houston by 95 total yards, which was the Cougars' worst yardage differential since a 2021 game against East Carolina.

Most of the players responsible for UTSA's production during a conference-title season in 2021 returned. That team also won a program-best 12 games. The Roadrunners are the more battle-tested squad, and they're ready to separate from the rest of the competition in the conference.

The Roadrunners are 4-1 ATS in their last five Friday games and 14-5 ATS in their last 19 road games. Meanwhile, FIU is 0-6 ATS in its previous six games against teams with a winning record and has failed to cover any of its last four home games. The talent disparity between these two teams will be on full display in Miami.

UTSA vs. FIU O/U Pick

Over 62 (-110) ★★★

UTSA leads all C-USA teams in total offense (498.3 yards per game) and is second in scoring (37.3 points). The Roadrunners have been the most profitable Over team in the country recently, as the Over is 8-0 in UTSA's last eight games and is 9-1 in its previous ten overall.

Florida International had ten possessions against UConn and did not go three-and-out a single time. Meanwhile, offensively, UConn did not do anything fancy, running the ball 75.9% of the time on first down and finishing with a 10.6% explosive play rate. In addition, UConn threw 40% of its passes at or behind the line of scrimmage despite facing just a 12% pressure rate. Yet, the Huskies still put up 33 points and capitalized on three FIU turnovers.

UTSA vs. FIU Prop Pick

UTSA -18 first half spread (-122) ★★★

In Western Kentucky's 73-0 rout of FIU, the Hilltoppers scored touchdowns on six of their seven first-half possessions, and no touchdown drive took longer than seven plays. We expect UTSA to similarly cruise through the opening 30 minutes against an FIU team that is 1-4 ATS overall, especially since the Roadrunners have trailed at the half in just one of their six games (was tied with Texas at halftime).

Where to Bet on UTSA vs. FIU Picks

UTSA-FIU picks made 10/12/2022 at 5:51 a.m. ET

Written By:
Mike Spector
I have been in the sports writing industry for over three years, working for sites like BettingPros/FantasyPros, Oddschecker, and Sportsbook Review. In my first year writing for BettingPros, I finished with the #2 overall record in their annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an over/under and moneyline perspective. I am an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, and all college sports. In my opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and I am especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. I am a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." Follow me on Twitter for my best bets and commentary to go along with the wagers.