The New Mexico men’s basketball team will try to bounce back after a disappointing performance and create some more space between it and the rest of the Mountain West tonight against San Diego State.
The Lobos went to Boise State and lost, 86-78, last Wednesday, snapping their eight-game winning streak. New Mexico is back on the road tonight for a game at San Diego State, which is 10-3 this season at Viejas Arena.
New Mexico (22-5, 14-2 MWC) is still in the driver’s seat in the Mountain West’s regular-season title race. The Lobos have swept Utah State (24-4, 14-3), which sits in second place in the conference, and Colorado State (18-9, 12-4), which sits in third. San Diego State (18-7, 11-5) and Boise State (19-8, 11-5) are tied for fourth place.
The Lobos have been the Mountain West’s top rebounding team all season, but the Broncos matched them on the boards. Boise State and New Mexico both finished with 30 rebounds, but the Lobos’ struggles didn’t end there. They also gave up 15 turnovers and couldn’t contain Boise State’s Tyson Degenhart, who put up a season-high 32 points.
New Mexico still leads the Mountain West with 40 rebounds and 83 points a game.
San Diego State is coming off a 79-71 loss at Utah State on Saturday. It was the Aztecs’ second loss to the Aggies this season.
New Mexico at San Diego State Odds
San Diego State is a 2.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM, and the Over/Under is at 144.5 points.
The Moneyline is at -145 for San Diego State and at +120 for New Mexico.
New Mexico at San Diego State on TV
The Mountain West game featuring New Mexico and San Diego State will be televised on FS1.
Tip-off is scheduled for 11 p.m. ET.
New Mexico at San Diego State Prediction
I predict New Mexico wins, 78-70.
New Mexico dominated San Diego State in a 62-48 win at The Pit on Jan. 11. The Lobos are sure to face a tougher challenge tonight against the Mountain West’s top defense in a sold-out Viejas Arena.
They know how big tonight’s game is, though. They’ll be favored against their final three regular-season opponents: Air Force, Nevada, and UNLV. They know tonight’s game in San Diego is their last chance to add another impressive win to their resume heading into the postseason, and they aren’t going to let it slip through their fingers.
Even in a loss at Boise State, New Mexico point guard Donovan Dent showed why he’s one of the favorites to win Mountain West player of the year by putting up 17 points and 11 assists. It was his fourth double-double of the season and the eighth time he’s finished a game with at least eight assists.
New Mexico’s Nelly Junior Joseph put up 17 points and eight rebounds against the Broncos. He’s still just one of two Mountain West players averaging a double-double this season. He’s putting up 13.8 points and 10.6 rebounds a night. Colorado State’s Nique Clifford is averaging 17.9 points and 10.2 rebounds.
Joseph has a chance to take over tonight’s game, as both the Lobos and Aztecs are dealing with injuries to big men. San Diego State 7-footer Magoon Gwath, the conference’s likely freshman of the year, suffered a knee injury Saturday against Utah State and won’t play tonight, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Mark Zeigler.
New Mexico’s Mustapha Amzil has been dealing with plantar fasciitis, which has forced him to miss three of the Lobos’ past four games. It’s unclear if he’ll play tonight, according to the Albuquerque Journal’s Geoff Grammer.
Amzil posted 10 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocked shots in the Lobos’ win over San Diego State on Jan. 11.
