New Mexico vs Colorado State Odds
| New Mexico Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 156.5 -110o / -110u | +140 |
| Colorado State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 156.5 -110o / -110u | -165 |
We head out to Fort Collins, Colorado, where we've got a doozy of a Mountain West matchup. The New Mexico Lobos have won 11 straight games as they will take on the surging No. 13 Colorado State Rams.
New Mexico Lobos
The Lobos enter this matchup with the fourth-longest active winning streak in the country, and this will be their second-biggest test of the season. New Mexico's lone loss was against St. Mary's in its second game of the year, but the Lobos have rattled off 11 straight wins since.
They enter this matchup top 50 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The majority of their offense is provided by the backcourt trio of Donovan Dent, Jamal Mashburn, and Jaelen House — although New Mexico does most of its damage inside the arc.
This game will come down to whether or not the Lobos can win the battle on the boards. It looks like they will have a clear rebounding edge heading into this game, so they will need to capitalize on their second-chance scoring opportunities.
Defensively, this is a very aggressive team. The Lobos tend to foul a lot, which isn't ideal against a Rams team that excels at the charity stripe.
The Rams are one of the best teams in the country in scoring from inside of the arc, but it will be strength on strength, as the Lobos rely on their interior defense.
I'm a bit skeptical about the Lobos in this game solely because of the fact they've had a much weaker schedule than the Rams. However, I think their fast-paced offense should be able to keep up in what should be a high-scoring affair.
Colorado State Rams
This may not be David Roddy's Rams, but this team has taken the college basketball world by storm. The Rams have had their fair share of tough opponents to begin the year, but yet they've been up to the task every time.
Senior guard Isaiah Stevens — who shoots 40% from deep — is the story of this Rams offense. Despite the lack of size from this group, they've proven their offense can hang with most teams in the country.
The offense as a whole is 11th in adjusted offensive efficiency and fourth in 2PT%. They're also 17th in turnover percentage, and shoot 38% from deep as a team. But what's really impressive about this offense is it ranks third in assists per game.
Defensively, they've been struggling as a whole. They rank in the bottom third of the country in 2PT% and 3PT%, which isn't a great sign going up against a good Lobos offense.
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New Mexico vs. Colorado State
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Lobos are a decent defensive team, but I think a lot of that has to do with their weaker strength of schedule. This is a terrific game to take the over, as I expect New Mexico to ramp up the tempo from the jump.
This line seems about right, and I do not trust the Lobos' free-throw shooting to keep this game close. Regardless, I expect an excellent basketball game that both offenses should excel in.
