New Mexico vs Boise State Basketball Prediction & Picks: Will the Lobos boost their bubble position?

Eddie Griffin

Boise State may not win the Mountain West regular season title, but the Broncos have been one of the hottest teams in the country since the turn of the year. If New Mexico can somehow cool them down tonight (10:30 pm ET, FS1), the Lobos will take a big step towards being in the March Madness field.

Entering today, Boise State (21-6, 11-3 Mountain West) trails San Diego State (22-5, 13-2 Mountain West) by a game and a half, with four games left for the Broncos and three left for the Aztecs.

With SDSU going to Albuquerque and then Boise before finishing up with a home game against Wyoming, the door is still very much open for Boise State to claim the regular season title outright if they run the table with wins over New Mexico, San Jose State (away), San Diego State, and Utah State (away).

The Lobos have their own aspirations in mind, and if they can pull off a win tonight and then beat the Aztecs on Saturday, they could go into their final two regular season games–at home against Fresno State and at Colorado State–on the right side of the March Madness bubble.

Who will bag a big win tonight at ExtraMile Arena? Read on for our New Mexico vs Boise State basketball prediction and picks.

New Mexico vs Boise State Odds

Odds are via FanDuel as of Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at 2:30 pm ET. This article may also include odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites.

Spread

  • New Mexico +5.5 (-102)
  • Boise State -5.5 (-120)

Over/Under

  • Over 146.5 (-115)
  • Under 146.5 (-105)

Moneyline

  • New Mexico +210
  • Boise State -260

Can New Mexico Ride the Big Three to a Win in Boise?

After losing four straight and five of six, the Lobos went from being in the field of 68 to the outside looking in. But hope is still alive to go dancing without needing the conference’s automatic bid, and last Friday’s 96-68 win at San Jose State would have provided a nice morale boost.

The Spartans had beaten Utah State in their previous home game, but they were no match for the Lobos, who got 31 points from Morris Udeze and 27 from Jamal Mashburn Jr. to resoundingly dispatch SJSU.

He didn’t light up the scoreboard like Udeze and Mashburn, but there was a major boost from the return of Jaelen House, who had missed crucial losses at Air Force and at home against Wyoming.

House was only 3 of 10 from the field and scored just seven points, but he dished out five assists and racked up five steals.

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The win in San Jose snapped a three-game road losing streak, and it was a solid road win over a dangerous team.

Winning in Boise State will be a much more difficult task, but with House back on the floor, they are a much, much better team on both ends of the court.

in the first meeting against Boise State, an 81-79 overtime win on January 20, Mashburn, House, and Udeze combined for 56 points and 23 of UNM’s 3 ja3 baskets. Another such effort tonight would be big for the Lobos’ hopes.

New Mexico vs Boise State Prediction and Picks

Lobos vs Broncos Prediction: Boise State to win

Lobos vs Broncos Picks: New Mexico +6.5 (BetMGM) & New Mexico team total over 70.5 (Best Value: Caesars Sportsbook)

Since the turn of the year, Boise State has won 11 of 13 games, losing only in overtime at New Mexico and at San Diego State by 20.

So, if New Mexico is going to leave Boise with a win, they are going to have to put in one of their best performances of the season.

Can they do that? With their key trio on the court, they certainly can. After all, the Lobos have wins at Saint Mary’s and San Diego State this season, and those are two very, very tough places to play.

Ultimately, I think the Broncos will pull out the win at home, but I think the Lobos will keep it close enough to cover. That wouldn’t be a good result for their March Madness resume, but it would be for New Mexico bettors.

Tonight’s matchup in Boise is one of many important games on tonight’s college basketball schedule. If you’re interested in buying premium picks for some of those games, we suggest checking out Doc’s Sports.

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Eddie Griffin

Eddie Griffin has been writing about and betting on sports for over a decade. He joined the ranks of Betting News as a content manager. For more of his thoughts on sports and sports betting, you can follow him on Twitter.

Eddie Griffin has been writing about and betting on sports for over a decade. He joined the ranks of Betting News as a content manager. For more of his thoughts on sports and sports betting, you can follow him on Twitter.