Boise State vs New Mexico Basketball Prediction & Picks (1/31): Will the Lobos Lay Waste to a Six Straight Conference Foe?

One of the hottest teams in college basketball will look for a sixth straight win tonight as Jamal Mashburn Jr., Jaelen House, and #19 New Mexico take on Boise State in a Mountain West matchup at The Pit (10:30 pm ET, FS1).

The Lobos (18-3, 6-2 Mountain West) have won five straight since a loss at UNLV on January 9, and all five wins have come by double digits.

After smashing San Diego State by 18, upending Utah State by 13, and knocking out Nevada by 34, UNM will look for another resounding home win over the Broncos (14-6, 5-2 Mountain West), who lost to first-place Utah State (19-2, 7-1 Mountain West) at home in overtime last time out.

While New Mexico has moved into a secure spot in the March Madness field with this recent run, Boise State is rather precariously poised at the moment, with ESPN’s most recent Bracketology update listing the Broncos as the very last team in the field of 68.

A loss in Albuquerque might not necessarily bump them onto the wrong side of the bubble, but a win at The Pit, where the Lobos are 11-0 this season, would move them off of that line and then some.

Boise State vs New Mexico Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline. If you’re interested in trying them out, we recommend checking out our BetOnline review.

Spread

• Boise State +11 (-110)
• New Mexico -11 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 149.5 (-110)
• Under 149.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Boise State +460
• New Mexico -600

Last Five Games for Boise State

• Utah State (1/27 – home): lost 90-84 (OT)
• Fresno State (1/23 – away): won 72-68
• San Diego State (1/20 – home): won 67-66
• UNLV (1/16 – home): lost 67-66
• Nevada (1/12 – away): won 64-56

Last Five Games for New Mexico

• Nevada (1/28 – home): won 89-55
• San Jose State (1/24 – away): won 95-75
• Air Force (1/20 – away): won 85-66
• Utah State (1/16 – home): won 99-86
• San Diego State (1/13 – home): won 88-70

Players to Watch for Boise State

• Tyson Degenhart: 15.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.3 SPG
• Chibuzo Agbo: 14.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 41.7% 3PT
• O’mar Stanley: 13.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.1 BPG, 57.7% FG
• Max Rice: 11.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.7 APG
• Cam Martin: 5.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.5 APG

Players to Watch for New Mexico

• Jamal Mashburn Jr.: 15.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.6 APG
• Jaelen House: 15.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.9 APG, 2.9 SPG
• Donavan Dent: 14.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.6 SPG, 51.1% FG
• JT Toppin: 13.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 1.8 BPG, 66.3% FG
• Nelly Junior Joseph: 9.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 55.9% FG

Boise State vs New Mexico Prediction and Picks

Boise State vs New Mexico Betting Analysis and Prediction

Even though the Lobos have swept aside some solid squads over the last few weeks, it is still a strange site to see them so heavily favored against the Broncos, who were picked to finish second in the Mountain West, one spot ahead of New Mexico.

But with Mashburn and House both now healthy and pulling their weight after missing a lot of time in non-conference play and dealing with some shooting struggles during the season, the Lobos have a very, very high ceiling that has been on display in this sizzling stretch.

Entering tonight’s game, the Lobos are first in the conference in scoring (84.4 PPG, 84.2 PPG versus Division I teams), and they are shooting 48.2% from the field (47.8% versus Division I teams, third in the Mountain West).

In their win streak, the Lobos are averaging 91.2 PPG and have shot 51.7% from the field.

Defensively, opponents are shooting 42.8% from the field and 30.5% from three against New Mexico during this stretch. In Sunday’s game, Nevada shot only 33.9% (19 of 56) from the field and 23.5% (4 of 17) from three.

Boise State has wins over Saint Mary’s, Colorado State, Nevada, and San Diego State this season, and the Broncos, a veteran team with three seniors and two juniors as their top five scorers, aren’t to be dismissed.

But this run that New Mexico is on right now is something special, and even if they don’t cover tonight, I expect the Lobos to make it six straight wins.

Prediction: New Mexico to win and cover

Boise State vs New Mexico Betting Picks

The picks listed below are courtesy of BetOnline and Bovada. Bet these plays at Bovada and get a 75% WELCOME BONUS if your first deposit is via cryptocurrency and/or bet them at BetOnline and get a 100% BONUS on your first cryptocurrency deposit.

Boise State/New Mexico first half over 70.5 (-110 at BetOnline) & O’mar Stanley over 21.5 points + rebounds + assists (-110 at Bovada)

In Mountain West play, Stanley is averaging 16.1 PPG and 9.1 RPG and has gone over 21.5 points + rebounds + assists five times in seven conference games.

If you want to take assists out of the equation (he has two or fewer assists in 17 of 20 games this season), you can get over 19.5 points + rebounds for -135 at Bovada. But I like his current level of scoring and rebounding production enough to take the full P + R + A trio just to get less juice.

As for the first half over, there have been 71 or more points four times in New Mexico’s last six games, and the first half has gone over 70.5 in each of Boise State’s last two games.

Where to Bet on College Basketball

If you are looking for college basketball odds, you will always be spoiled for choice.

Sports betting sites all over the internet offer a vast array of NCAA basketball odds throughout the season, from the opening tip in November to the conclusion of the season in early April.

Along with being able to bet on countless games, many online sportsbooks offer men’s college basketball national championship odds, women’s college basketball national championship odds, men’s Wooden Award odds, women’s Wooden Award odds, and odds on who will win early season and conference tournaments.

Below are some of the books that we highly recommend for college basketball betting:

• BetDSI (review)
• BetOnline (review)
• BetUS (review)
• Bookmaker (review)
• Bovada (review)
• MyBookie (review)
• Sportsbetting.ag (review)

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

Want to Learn More About College Basketball Betting?

Looking to learn more about the ins and outs of betting on NCAA basketball? Check out our college basketball betting guide.