New Mexico State vs Western Kentucky Prediction 2/26/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The New Mexico State Aggies and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers meet Thursday in college basketball action from Diddle Arena in Bowling Green. Here’s a New Mexico State vs Western Kentucky prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best New Mexico State vs Western Kentucky pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

New Mexico State Aggies Betting Preview

This year the Aggies kicked off their season with an 8-5 run. Next came a 2-2 stretch with losses to Middle Tennessee and Liberty, then four straight losses versus Missouri State, Florida International, Delaware and Kennesaw State. The next five were a 3-2 run featuring wins over LA Tech, Jacksonville State and UTEP. Over the first 26 games of the year that gives New Mexico State a 13-13 run.

In the UTEP game on Saturday the Aggies were in the locker room at the break looking up at a 35-25 advantage on the scoreboard. New Mexico State was outscored 38-32 the rest of the way but managed to hang on for a 67-63 victory on their home court in the end. Leading the team in scoring was Jemel Jones with 21 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Preview

Over on the Hilltoppers’ side, they were 11-6 in their first 17 games this year. Western Kentucky took losses to Kennesaw State, Liberty, Sam Houston, Kennesaw State again and Jacksonville State during a 1-5 run over the next six games. After that came wins over Florida International, Middle Tennessee, Delaware and Liberty in succession, giving the Hilltoppers a 16-11 overall record.

In the Liberty game on Saturday the Hilltoppers exited the locker room at halftime with a comfortable lead 48-37. Western Kentucky hit a 46-36 run the rest of the way and powered out the win in the end 94-73. Leading the team in scoring along the way were Grant Newell (eight rebounds; three assists) and Teagan Moore (four rebounds; one assist) each with 21 points.

New Mexico State Aggies @ Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Trends: February 26, 2026

Why the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will win

• Western Kentucky has won each of its last four games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• New Mexico State has lost six of its last eight night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the New Mexico State Aggies will win

• Western Kentucky has lost the first half in four of its last five home games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

New Mexico State vs Western Kentucky Prediction

I’ll lean toward Western Kentucky but you could call it either way. The Hilltoppers didn’t have too many issues beating a good Liberty team on the road last weekend, hitting 52.5 percent from the field with 95.7 percent (22-of-23) at the line. WKU added a 33-19 rebounding edge and just eight turnovers but did give up 55.6 percent shooting on defense. That gives the Hilltoppers a 4-0 run with 80 or more points scored in each of those.

When these teams last saw each other back on January 8, Western Kentucky took a pretty ugly 80-64 loss on the road. In that one the Hilltoppers shot just 30.9 percent from the field with 22.7 percent (5-of-22) from outside and a 40-33 rebounding deficit. WKU did hold the Aggies to just 39.3 percent from the field though. In the home rematch, I’d like to see that shooting percentage come up quite a bit.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers -6