The 19th-ranked San Diego State Aztecs enter The Pit as underdogs when they take on New Mexico on Saturday afternoon. It is time to continue our men's college basketball odds series with a San Diego State-New Mexico prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

San Diego State knows this position well, as they were ranked last season when they lost to New Mexico. They returned the favor later in the season when they won on the road with a three-pointer at the buzzer. The three-pointer was hit by Lamont Butler, who also hit the three to beat Florida Atlantic in last season's Final Four. San Diego State has won seven in a row, with their last loss coming against Grand Canyon in December. Other than a win over Gonzaga, San Diego State has been heavily favored in the rest of their victories on the run.

Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn Jr. lead New Mexico They are averaging 14.7 points and 16.2 points per game, respectively. New Mexico was on fire through non-conference play, boasting a 12-1 record. However, they have lost two of their past three games. Their most recent loss came at the hands of UNLV on Tuesday night. In non-conference play, the Aztecs covered in six of their last seven games, with no spread being less than a 7.5-point favorite. New Mexico showed an ability to beat up on non-conference opponents but will need to start doing it against the Mountain West.

Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: San Diego State-New Mexico Odds

San Diego State: +2.5 (-105)

Moneyline: (+122)

New Mexico: -2.5 (-115)

Moneyline: (-146)

Over: 150.5 (-110)

Under: 150.5 (-110)

How to Watch San Diego State vs. New Mexico 

Time: 2 PM ET/11 PM PT

TV: CBS

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why San Diego State Will Cover The Spread

It's easier to see a good defense than a good offense. A team's offensive numbers may be deceiving if they played subpar defensive teams. This could be the case in Saturday's matchup. New Mexico ranks 33rd in the nation in scoring offense but has had big games against some of Division I's worst teams. They averaged only 72.7 points per game in conference play and 82.3 on the season. This means they are an average offense when playing against teams from their conference.

San Diego State's defense is 64th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 66 points per game. Their defense matches up well against New Mexico's offense in almost every statistical category. To finish it off, New Mexico's most discouraging stat is that they are one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in Division I.

Why New Mexico Will Cover The Spread

New Mexico has an opportunity to prove that their offense isn't good because of their poor strength of schedule. They rank 33rd in the nation with 82.3 points per game, and are highly efficient, making the 17th-most field goals per game. They also attempt shots at a high rate, shooting the 20th-most.

Their defense also narrowly beats out San Diego State's offense. Their defense ranks 107th in the nation, allowing 68.2 points per game. San Diego State's offense ranks 117th, scoring 77.3 points per game. They are also top-100 in several defensive categories, while San Diego State sits in the high 100s and low 200s in most offensive categories.

Final San Diego State-New Mexico Prediction & Pick

This game will be decided between San Diego State's defense and New Mexico's offense. San Diego State's offense and New Mexico's defense are evenly matched, ranking in the early 100s nationally in most statistical categories. However, New Mexico's 33rd-ranked offense vs. San Diego State's 64th-ranked defense will be one to watch. A hotly-contested matchup like this could be as simple as looking at the fundamentals when picking a side. New Mexico is shooting 66.9% from the free-throw line, which is 300th in the country. San Diego State shoots much better, hitting 73.9% of their shots to rank 87th.

A 2.5-point spread could mean it will come down to the final shots. If you bet on New Mexico, you might not feel too confident about them going to the line to ice the game. All it takes is one or two missed free throws to make the difference between New Mexico winning this game by three points to cover the spread.

New Mexico's offensive statistics may be a bit of a paper tiger with their success in non-conference play. They score 82.3 points per game on average but scored 73, 77, and 68 in their last three conference games. In games where they aren't more than 7.5-point favorites this season, their outright record is 1-3. The fact is, New Mexico is punching down on weaker competition and may be in tough again against a ranked team like San Diego State.

Final San Diego State-New Mexico Prediction & Pick: San Diego State +2.5 (-105)