This matchup between the New Mexico Lobos and Washington State Cougars will take place at Stan Sheriff Center. The game starts at 1:00 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 25 and will air on ES3.
The Cougars were beaten by Northern Iowa 63-59 on Wednesday. Josh Hawkinson played well in the loss for Washington State, recording 14 points and 13 rebounds to earn his eighth double-double of the season.
Washington State is a five-point underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 149 points. The Cougars are attempting to build on their records of 7-4 Straight Up (SU) and 6-4 Against The Spread (ATS). Washington State has consistently been near the top of the nation in terms of field goal percentage, currently ranking 27th in the nation with a FG% of .487. Turning to the defensive side, an area where the Cougars are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 6.3 blocks per game, eighth in Division I.
On the other side, New Mexico has a SU record of 7-5 and an ATS record of 5-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – NM, ATS Winner – NM, O/U – Over
Notes
New Mexico averages 78.2 points per game (ranked 94th). Washington State, on the other hand, allows 69.5 points per game (ranked 144th).
With 70.2 possessions and 1.067 points per possession, the Washington State Cougars perform worse on both metrics than the New Mexico Lobos. New Mexico averages 73.2 possessions and 1.067 points per possession.
Washington State averages an effective field goal percentage of 54.5%. New Mexico has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage (0-3).
On average, the Washington State Cougars attempt 18.0 three point field goals per game and the New Mexico Lobos attempt 18.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Washington State has a winning 3-1 record, while New Mexico is 3-2.
The Washington State Cougars average 6.3 blocks per game, the eighth-ranked team in the country. The New Mexico Lobos rank a lowly 127th in blocking with just 3.9 per game.
On average, New Mexico forces a turnover rate of 18.4%. When Washington State turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has an exceptional 7-2 record.
