New Mexico State Aggies vs Sam Houston Bearkats Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Sam Houston vs New Mexico State NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Las Cruces.

Sam Houston vs New Mexico State Prediction

The Bearkats and Aggies are set to face off at 9:00 ET on ESPN+. The Aggies will host the game at Pan American Center in Las Cruces, NM. The over/under for this game is set at 147.5 points, and New Mexico State is favored by -2.5 vs. Sam Houston in a Conference USA conference matchup.

Sam Houston vs. New Mexico State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Sam Houston Bearkats at New Mexico State Aggies
Where: Las Cruces at Pan American Center
Date: Thursday, January 2nd
Betting Odds NMXST -2.5, SMHO +115 | NMXST -139 O/U 147.5

Bearkats Preview: Is a Road Win Possible for Sam Houston?

Sam Houston dropped to 4-6 on the season after a 110-78 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Bearkats were +17 underdogs going into the game and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 188, surpassing the O/U line of 151.5.

After trailing 52-40 at halftime, Sam Houston scored 38 points in the 2nd half but allowed 58 points, leading to the lopsided final score.

Bearkats Offense Breakdown

Sam Houston's offense put up 78 points in their last game, shooting 53.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 60.7%. They were dominant inside, hitting 69.7% of their two-point attempts, while their three-point shooting lagged at 30.4%.

Cameron Huefner led the way with 26 points, shooting 58.8% from the field. Zack Austin and Ishmael Leggett each added 23 points, with both shooting 66.7% overall. Leggett was particularly effective from beyond the arc, hitting 75% of his threes.

Bearkats Team Defense

Sam Houston's defense struggled in this one, giving up 110 points on 58% shooting from the field. They allowed 38 made baskets on 65 attempts.

Inside the arc, their opponents shot 64%, hitting 22 of 34 two-point attempts. From three-point range, they connected on 16 of 31 shots, good for 51%. Sam Houston also sent them to the line 23 times, where they made 18 free throws (78%).

Aggies Preview: Will New Mexico State Come Through as Home Favorites?

New Mexico State Aggies Recent Game/Games

The Aggies improved to 4-6 on the season with a 72-69 win over Southern Utah on Monday. New Mexico State was favored by five points but didn’t cover the spread.

After trailing 33-32 at halftime, the Aggies outscored Southern Utah 40-36 in the second half. The total points for the game were 141, just under the O/U line of 146.

Aggies Offense Breakdown

New Mexico State put up 72 points in their last game, shooting 44.8% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50%. They connected on 35.3% of their three-point attempts, going 6-for-17, and were efficient at the free-throw line, hitting 87.5% of their shots (14-for-16). The Aggies grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and dished out 7 assists as a team.

Christian Cook and Dominique Ford each scored 19 points, with Cook shooting 61.5% from the field and Ford hitting 4 threes on 11 attempts. Peter Filipovity added 18 points and 9 rebounds, while Brock Felder contributed 14 points, shooting 83.3% from the floor.

Aggies Team Defense

New Mexico State's defense gave up 69 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 44% from the field. The Aggies allowed 20 two-point field goals on 41 attempts, a 48% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, New Mexico State's defense held their opponent to 6 made threes on 17 attempts, a 35% success rate. The Aggies also sent the other team to the line 16 times, where they converted 14 free throws for 87%. New Mexico State allowed 10 offensive rebounds.

Bearkats vs Aggies Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their ten previous road games, Sam Houston has an ATS mark of 4-6. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-6 while averaging 72 points per game.
In their last five games at home, the Aggies have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 70 points per game in this stretch.
Looking back on the team's last three games as the underdog, the Bearkats have a straight up record of 0-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 0-3.
Looking back on the team's last three games as the favorite, the Aggies have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 0-3.