The New Mexico Lobos take on the Fresno State Bulldogs. Our college basketball odds series has our New Mexico-Fresno State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch New Mexico vs. Fresno State.
Who would have imagined? Who would have thought? Who possibly could have predicted that the New Mexico Lobos would be the last remaining unbeaten team in major college basketball this season? It's a remarkable story, even if you acknowledge that the Lobos have not played an extraordinarily difficult schedule.
First, their schedule — while not stuffed with elite teams the way Kansas, Duke and Gonzaga fill their schedules — has not been a piece of cake. The Lobos played San Francisco away from home. They took on Iona, a game they certainly didn't have to play but wanted to because Rick Pitino and Richard Pitino wanted to make that special event happen. New Mexico won at Saint Mary's, a very challenging assignment the Lobos passed with flying colors. New Mexico has some really solid wins on the slate, and yet has not tripped up even once. When the Purdue Boilermakers — ranked No. 1 in the country — lost at home to Rutgers on Monday night, New Mexico officially became the last unbeaten team standing. This game two days after previously unbeaten UConn finally fell on Saturday to Xavier.
Here are the New Mexico-Fresno State college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
College Basketball Odds: New Mexico-Fresno State Odds
New Mexico Lobos: -3.5 (-110)
Fresno State Bulldogs: +3.5 (-110)
Over: 136.5 (-114)
Under: 136.5 (-106)
*Watch New Mexico-Fresno State LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why New Mexico Could Cover The Spread
The Lobos are 14-0. Richard Pitino has revived his career after some tough sledding in Minnesota. Coaching in the Mountain West seems like a great fit for him. He has certainly assembled a roster which can play. Jamal Mashburn and Jaelen House both average 17.1 points per game. That's part of why New Mexico is so good. Teams might be able to contain one of the two scorers in a given game, but they can't hold down both at the same time. The Lobos know they can turn to one of them for a big bucket in a big situation, and if the defense tries to swarm either of them, they can pass out of the double-team to create opportunities for others. New Mexico always (literally) finds the right answer this season, and until an opponent can thwart the Lobos, why bet against them?
Also, Fresno State does not come across as a team likely to stop UNM's big run. The Bulldogs are 5-8. They just lost by 13 to Utah State. Within the past 30 days, they have absorbed losses to Sacramento State and Pacific. This team isn't beating New Mexico.
Why Fresno State Could Cover The Spread
People wondered why New Mexico was such a slight favorite last Saturday over a Wyoming team which was 5-8. The Cowboys were just a two-point underdog to the Lobos. They had not played well for most of the season. Why wasn't New Mexico a 10-point favorite against the Pokes? Well, you saw why. Teams are going to give New Mexico their best shot the whole season. Wyoming geared up for that game and spilled the fuel tank versus the Lobos, treating UNM as its Super Bowl opponent. Fresno State is going to do the very same thing. New Mexico struggled for much of the Wyoming game, dealing with the pressure and scrutiny which go along with being an unbeaten team midway through the college basketball season. Fresno State isn't a better team, but as we know in college basketball, great upsets occur when that one game on that one night spins sideways. It happens nightly in the sport. A few weeks ago, Eastern Illinois won as a 31.5-point underdog at Iowa. Fresno State over UNM wouldn't be nearly as surprising by comparison.
Final New Mexico-Fresno State Prediction & Pick
This game won't be a complete cakewalk, but New Mexico is a lot better than Fresno State. If the game is close with 10 minutes left in regulation — and it might be — the Lobos have the proven players who can make the difference and create separation down the stretch.
Final New Mexico-Fresno State Prediction & Pick: New Mexico -3.5
How To Watch New Mexico vs. Fresno State
TV: CBS Sports Network
Stream: CBSSports.com
Time: 11:00 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. PT
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