New Mexico has revenge on its mind as it tries to get back in the win column vs. Boise State and stay in the race for the Mountain West regular-season championship.
The Lobos (18-5, 9-3 MWC) host Boise State at The Pit on Saturday. They’re coming off their first home loss of the season after Utah State left Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a dominant 86-66 win on Wednesday.
They need to beat the Broncos to stay within striking distance of Mountain West-leading Utah State (19-3, 10-2) and San Diego State (16-6, 10-2), which is currently in second place in the conference. The Lobos lost to the Aztecs, 83-79, on Jan. 17. The Lobos were outrebounded by Utah State, 37-28, and they gave up 15 turnovers, which the Aggies turned into 19 points.
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New Mexico is led by talented freshmen Tomislav Buljan and Jake Hall, but they were a combined 7-for-16 from the floor against Utah State. Hall leads the team with 15.3 points a game and leads all freshmen in the country with 70 3-pointers. Buljan is averaging a double-double, with 12.6 points and 10 rebounds a game.
Boise State (14-9, 6-6 MWC) may not have much of a chance of winning the Mountain West’s regular-season title, despite being picked to finish third in the preseason, but the Broncos are still a dangerous team. They’re coming off a 91-87 overtime win over Nevada on Tuesday, and they’ve won five of their past six games after dropping five of their first six conference games this season.
Former UCLA point guard Dylan Andrews put on one of his best offensive performances of the season against the Wolf Pack. He led the Broncos with 25 points, which is his second-best point total of the season, trailing only his 26 points against N.C. State earlier this season. Former NAIA All-American Javan Buchanan added 23 points and five rebounds for Boise State.
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Boise State at New Mexico Odds
New Mexico is a 6.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is at 152.5 points.
The Moneyline is at -275 for New Mexico and +220 for Boise State.
The overall series is tied 15-15, but New Mexico is 9-4 in the series at The Pit. Boise State has won three straight games against the Lobos.
Boise State at New Mexico on TV
The Mountain West game featuring Boise State and New Mexico will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET.
Boise State at New Mexico Prediction
I predict New Mexico wins 78-74.
Boise State is a dangerous team when Andrews and Buchanan are playing fast and lighting up the scoreboard. The Broncos are even more dangerous when 6-foot-11 center Drew Fielder is in rhythm, and 6-foot-9 sixth-year senior Dominic Parolin comes off the bench to score 11 points and pull down nine rebounds the way he did against Nevada.
But New Mexico is just too multifaceted in its attack, and the Lobos don’t lose back-to-back games at The Pit very often.
The Lobos can play fast with talented freshman Uriah Tenette and Utah State transfer Deyton Albury in the lineup. Hall gives them the ability to play slow and outshoot teams, and they can play bully ball with Buljan on the floor.
This could be a close game if Fielder gets hot around the rim, but that’s unlikely in an environment like the Pit. New Mexico is 12-1 at home this season, and the Lobos have won 23 of their past 24 games in the friendly confines of one of the most raucous venues in the country.
