The New Mexico State Aggies take on the New Mexico Lobos. Check out our college basketball odds series for our New Mexico State New Mexico prediction and pick. Find how to watch New Mexico State New Mexico.

The New Mexico Lobos have been plagued by injuries to top players early in this college basketball season. Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn Jr. are their two best players. They have missed several games in the first four weeks of the season. House missed UNM's loss to Saint Mary's early in the season. The infirmary has been busy for Richard Pitino's Lobos. Yet, New Mexico has lost only once. The Lobos have found solutions in their other games this season. Louisiana Tech, Pepperdine, and other mid-majors have tried to pounce on an opportunity against the Lobos, but New Mexico has had answers from its backups and its other players who have had to take on more minutes and more responsibilities.

New Mexico State led Louisville by eight points with 1:10 left this past Sunday. The Aggies were about to beat an ACC team and give their season a boost after losing two straight games, one of them in overtime to Fresno State. However, they failed at the foul line and in terms of protecting the ball. They missed a front end of a one-and-one to help Louisville draw closer. They allowed a tying 3-point basket. They got the ball back late with a chance to win and earned two free throws with under two seconds left. They just needed to make one of the two tries. They missed both. The game went into overtime, and New Mexico State lost to the Cardinals, a crushing blow for a team in search of a season-changing moment. Being able to beat New Mexico would also rate as a season-transforming feat, but the Aggies have to go into The Pit in Albuquerque, which is never an easy place for a visiting team to win.

Here are the New Mexico State-New Mexico College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Basketball Odds: New Mexico State-New Mexico Odds

New Mexico State Aggies: +17.5 (-104)

New Mexico Lobos: -17.5 (-118)

Over: 154.5 (-110)

Under: 154.5 (-110)

How To Watch New Mexico State vs New Mexico

Time: 9:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm PT

TV: Local and regional cable / FuboTV

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why New Mexico State Could Cover the Spread

The Aggies have shown they can compete with power conference teams such as Louisville and Mountain West teams such as Fresno State. Their record is 4-5, but it could easily be 6-3 against good competition. New Mexico is a better team than Fresno State, but Fresno State beat New Mexico last season with the Lobos having a lot of the same players they have brought back this season. Keep in mind how big the spread is, too. We're not talking about NMSU beating New Mexico outright, merely keeping this game somewhat close. If New Mexico State can take Fresno to overtime and outplay Louisville for 95 percent of a game before imploding late, it can certainly keep the margin of this game under 18 points. Plus, it's a rivalry game, and we know that rivalry games can be contentious even if the two teams seem to be worlds apart on paper. This game isn't played on paper. No game is. NMSU can be competitive.

Why New Mexico Could Cover the Spread

The fact that New Mexico has just one loss in the first four weeks of the season despite all of its injuries shows that Richard Pitino is developing his roster and cultivating real depth. Other guys are stepping in, playing more minutes, and are doing well when asked to perform. That's a very encouraging sign, and it points to UNM having far more depth than New Mexico State. UNM doesn't have to blow out this game in the first half to cover the spread. As long as the Lobos lead by nine or 10 points at halftime, their depth is going to wear down New Mexico State in the second half. You could really see the floodgates open and the Lobos could pull away late to win by 25.

Final New Mexico State-New Mexico Prediction & Pick

It's a rivalry game. Stay away and look elsewhere for a play.

Final New Mexico State-New Mexico Prediction & Pick: New Mexico State +17.5