The Boise State Broncos will be at WisePies Arena to face off against the New Mexico Lobos in a Mountain West matchup. The game starts at 10:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 17 and can be seen on CCS.
The Lobos come into this game on a high note after beating San Jose State 74-58 on Saturday. Tim Williams fueled the Lobos with 16 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks. The Broncos are coming off a 94-71 win over Wyoming on Saturday. James Webb III claimed his ninth double-double of the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Over the last five games, Williams has taken his game to another level for the Lobos, averaging 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Lobos won the first game 88-83. Elijah Brown had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 30 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four three-pointers.
The Lobos are looking to build on their records of 15-10 Straight Up (SU) and 14-9 Against The Spread (ATS). The Lobos are an exceptional shooting team with a .472 field-goal percentage, one of the highest marks in Division I. As for the New Mexico defense, teams really have to fight for open three-pointers against the Lobos, who have one of the best opponent three-point field goal percentages in the nation at .314.
On the other side, the Broncos have records of 11-12-1 ATS and 17-9 SU. The Broncos rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking 45th in the nation with 222 made (8.0 per game). Don’t expect Boise State to give away the ball much on offense, where its 11.4 turnovers per game ranks 50th in the country.
New Mexico won the last meeting this season between these two teams, bumping its SU record to 7-3 over Boise State in their most recent meetings. Furthermore, with a 7-3 record, New Mexico has the advantage ATS. Boise State had the advantage in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) twice over the last five matchups. New Mexico has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – Boise, ATS Winner – Boise
Notes
New Mexico averages 77.6 points per game (ranked 66th). Boise State, on the other hand, allows 70.0 points per game (ranked 115th).
New Mexico scores 80.5 points per home game (ranked 69th). Boise State ranks a poor 137th in points allowed on the road, allowing 74.7 points.
In its last game, Boise State won by a margin of 23 points. New Mexico is 7-2 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Boise State has a 6-0 record in blowouts.
The New Mexico Lobos average 72.6 possessions per game and 1.069 points per possession, while the Boise State Broncos earn fewer possessions (69.9) but more points per possession (1.120).
New Mexico has an average effective field goal percentage of 52.4%. Boise State is an even 5-5 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The New Mexico Lobos average 16.0 three point attempts per game and are 4-3 when attempting at least 20 in a game. The Boise State Broncos average 25.0 attempts and have a winning record (15-6) when attempting 20 or more.
Boise State ranks 95th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.18. New Mexico is ranked lower at 211th with an A/TO of .99.
Boise State ranks 267th in offensive rebounds, while New Mexico ranks at 64th in defensive rebounds.
On average, New Mexico forces a turnover rate of 17.8%. When Boise State turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 7-4 record.
