| MATCHUP | Sam Houston State Bearkats | New Mexico Lobos |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 22-11 | 23-10 |
| Spread | +11.5 -105 | -11.5 -115 |
| Moneyline | +470 | -650 |
| Total | Over 164.5 (-110) | Under 164.5 (-110) |
| Where | New Mexico Stadium | |
| When | Wednesday, March 18, 2026 | |
| Time | 09:00 PM EDT | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
The Sam Houston State Bearkats and the New Mexico Lobos will meet on Wednesday night in an NIT First Round matchup at The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Sam Houston State Bearkats Betting Preview
The Sam Houston State Bearkats enter Wednesday’s contest with a 22–11 win‑loss record, including a 13–7 mark in conference play and a 6-9 record on the road. The Bearkats has compiled wins over Missouri State, Delaware, FIU, Jacksonville State and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, while dropping recent games to Kennesaw State, Liberty and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.
Four days ago, in the Sam Houston State Bearkats 79–73 loss to Kennesaw State, Bearkats guard Jacobe Coleman tallied 18 points (7 of 19 shooting in the field) illustrating his ability to lead the Bearkats backcourt.
The Sam Houston State Bearkats average 79.9 points (69th in country) on 45.7 percent shooting from the field and 37.3 percent shooting from three‑point range (26th in nation) per game. Shifting our focus to the defensive side of the basketball, the Bearkats are allowing opponents 75.9 points per contest.
Freshman guard Jacob Walker leads the Sam Houston State Bearkats averaging 11.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists on 43.9 percent shooting from the field per game. Senior forward Veljko Ilic provides the Bearkats with a strong interior presence averaging 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1 steal per contest. The winner of this game will face either Utah Valley or George Washington.
New Mexico Lobos Betting Preview
The New Mexico Lobos enter Wednesday’s contest with a 23–10 overall record, including a 13-7 mark in conference play and a robust a 14-3 record at home. New Mexico has compiled wins over San Jose State, Air Force, Fresno State, UNLV and the Colorado State Rams, while dropping recent games to San Diego State, Utah State, Nevada and the Boise State Broncos.
More recently, in the New Mexico Lobos 64-62 loss to San Diego State four days ago, New Mexico guard Donovan Albury amassed 20 points (7 of 10 shooting from the field: 2 of 2 from three-point range), 3 rebounds and 1 assist showcasing his ability to perform at a high level.
The New Mexico Lobos average 80 points (60th in nation) on 46.1 percent shooting from the field and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc per game. Defensively, the Lobos are allowing opponents 71.6 points per contest.
Freshman guard Jake Hall leads the New Mexico Lobos averaging 16 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1 steal per game. Freshman forward Tomislav Buljan leads the Lobos frontcourt averaging 12.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals per contest.
Why the Sam Houston State Bearkats Will Win
• Backcourt play. Freshman guard Jacob Walker leads the Sam Houston State Bearkats averaging 11.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists on 43.9 percent shooting from the field per game.
• Quality offense. The Sam Houston State Bearkats average 79.9 points (69th in country) on 45.7 percent shooting from the field and 37.3 percent shooting from three‑point range (26th in nation) per game.
Why the New Mexico Lobos Will Win
• Home court edge. The New Mexico Lobos have amassed a 14–3 record at home this season.
• Defensive advantage. The New Mexico Lobos are allowing opponents 71.6 points per contest. Conversely, the Bearkats are allowing opponents 75.9 points per contest.
Sam Houston State vs. New Mexico Prediction
This matchup features a New Mexico Lobos team that plays exceptionally well at home (14-3). With that said, the Sam Houston State Bearkats are a team that plays with enough pace and quality offense to keep the Bearkats within the number (11.5) here. For the reasons just noted, I am backing Sam Houston State plus the 11.5 points in this game.