The San Diego State Aztecs (17-6) will attempt to keep their 10-game winning streak alive when they meet the New Mexico Lobos (14-8) at Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl. Action begins at 4:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 6 and can be seen on CCS.
The Aztecs enter this game hoping for similar success after edging Colorado State 69-67 on Tuesday. Trey Kell was the game’s leading scorer with 19 points on 5-for-12 shooting. The Lobos, meanwhile, are coming off an 87-83 win against UNLV on Tuesday. Tim Williams was the game’s top scorer, registering 29 points on 10-for-15 shooting.
Williams has upped his play over the last five games for the Lobos, averaging 21.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks.
The Aztecs come into this game 17-6 Straight Up (SU) and 8-8-3 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The Aztecs have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 78.5 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 66.1 points per game. The Aztecs are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 16.0 per game. The San Diego State defense has been struggling to keep points off the board during its most recent matchups. The Aztecs have given up an average of 72.0 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 59.8 PPG. Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Aztecs, ranking 14th in the country in blocks per game with 5.7.
As for their opponent, the Lobos have 14-8 SU and 13-7 ATS records. Offensively, the Lobos have really sputtered in the last 10 games. Their season average has fallen to 78.3 points per game after averaging only 67.5 during that stretch. The Lobos convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking 49th in the nation at .734. The Lobos average 72.1 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 59.4 points per game during that span.
These conference foes meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. San Diego State won the last game in the matchup, but the win was not enough to overtake New Mexico in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the last few meetings. The Lobos also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. New Mexico held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, San Diego State never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – SDSU, ATS Winner – SDSU
Notes
“San Diego State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Diego State’s last 7 games “.
“San Diego State is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“San Diego State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego State’s last 6 games at home”.
“San Diego State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New Mexico”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego State’s last 5 games when playing New Mexico”.
“San Diego State is 3-10-1 ATS in its last 14 games when playing at home against New Mexico”.
“San Diego State is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against New Mexico”.
The San Diego State Aztecs stand undefeated at 10-0 SU against the Mountain West Conference. The New Mexico Lobos have a winning record (7-2) in the conference.
San Diego State has allowed an average of 58.8 points per home game this season. New Mexico averages 74.4 points per away game, ranking 60th in scoring.
With 65.1 possessions and 1.015 points per possession, the San Diego State Aztecs perform worse on both metrics than the New Mexico Lobos. New Mexico averages 73.1 possessions and 1.071 points per possession.
The San Diego State Aztecs average an effective field goal percentage of 46.2% this season. The New Mexico Lobos are 4-6 when opponents have an eFG% of 46.2% or greater.
San Diego State attempts an average of 16.0 three pointers per game and New Mexico attempts 15.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the San Diego State Aztecs have a formidable 6-1 record while the New Mexico Lobos have a 3-2 record.
San Diego State, the 14th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.7 per game. New Mexico ranks 92nd with 4.2.
San Diego State ranks 101st in offensive rebounds, while New Mexico ranks 51st in defensive rebounds.
The San Diego State Aztecs make an average of 5.3 steals per game. When the New Mexico Lobos allow 5 or more steals, they are a winning 12-7.
