New Mexico State (7-6) vs Sam Houston State (7-6)
Game Info: Thursday, January 2, 2025 at 9:00 pm (Pan American Center)
The Line: Betting Odds: New Mexico State -2 / Sam Houston State +2 — Over/Under: 148.5
The Sam Houston Bearkats are visiting the New Mexico State Aggies on Wednesday, January 1st at the Pan American Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Sam Houston Bearkats vs New Mexico State Aggies Prediction.
New Mexico State Aggies Preview
The New Mexico State Aggies have a 7-6 record this season and are sitting in the 8th place of the USA. New Mexico State is coming off an 85-52 win over University of the Southwest. The Aggies are 3-7 against the spread, and 5-5 in over/under, while having a 5-1 home record.
Offensively, New Mexico State is averaging 74.5 points per game, which ranks 216th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 70.3 points per game (159th). The Aggies shoot 43.3% from the field (260th) and 35.2% from beyond the arc (129th). The Aggies shoot 66.2% from the free-throw line (309th), and they are grabbing 40.1 rebounds per game, which is the 36th-best in the nation while committing 13.7 turnovers per game (59th).
Christian Cook leads New Mexico State in scoring with an average of 14.2 points, while Robert Carpenter adds 11.5 points and a team-high 6.4 rebounds. New Mexico State will face LA Tech, UTEP, and FIU following this one.
Sam Houston Bearkats Preview
The Sam Houston Bearkats have a 7-6 record this season and are sitting in the 9th place of the USA. Sam Houston is coming off a 111-85 win over Dallas. The Bearkats are 3-7 against the spread, and 8-2 in over/under while having a 2-5 road record.
Offensively, Sam Houston is averaging 81.2 points per game, which ranks 67th in the nation. Defensively, they are allowing 78.2 points per game (326th). The Bearkats shoot with 47.1% from the field (97th), and 40.2% from beyond the arc, which is the 12th-best in the nation. The Bearkats shoot 68.9% from the free throw line (256th), and they are grabbing 36.5 rebounds per game (175th) while committing 12.6 turnovers per game (128th).
Lamar Wilkerson leads Sam Houston in scoring this season, with an average of 19.4 points and 3.2 rebounds, while Cameron Huefner adds 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds. Sam Houston will take on UTEP after this game.
Why the New Mexico State Aggies will win
- New Mexico State has won 13 of its last 14 games at Pan American Center following a home win.
- New Mexico State has won the first half in six of its last seven home games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Why the Sam Houston State Bearkats will win
- Sam Houston State has won each of its last seven night games against the Conference USA.
- New Mexico State has lost each of its last six night games against the Conference USA.
- Sam Houston State has won the first half in each of its last nine games against the Conference USA.
Sam Houston Bearkats vs New Mexico State Aggies Prediction
Sam Houston has won all four previous meetings against New Mexico State and has covered the spread in all four. Over/Under is 2-2 and in their most recent meeting last season, Sam Houston won 79-58 on the road. In this Sam Houston Bearkats vs New Mexico State Aggies Prediction, New Mexico State is coming as -2 home favorites. Sam Houston is better offensively, scoring 6.7 points more than New Mexico State, while New Mexico State is better defensively, allowing 7.9 points less. The Aggies are winning by an average of 4.2 points this season, while the Bearkats are winning by 3 points. Sam Houston better shooting percentages than New Mexico State, as they rank in the top 100 in field goal percentage, while boasting the 12th-best 3-point percentage. The Bearkats are also better both in free-throw percentage and in turnovers committed, so there is value here with the road team. Take the Sam Houston Bearkats and lay the points on the road.