The unbeaten New Mexico State Aggies take on the Utah State Aggies in the second round of the 2021 Myrtle Beach Invitational on Friday. New Mexico State (3-0), who placed third in the Western Athletic Conference at 7-6 and were 12-8 overall last season, defeated Davidson 76-64 in Thursday's tournament opener. Utah State (2-1), who placed second in the Mountain West at 15-4 and were 20-9 overall, stopped Penn 87-79 on Thursday. The winner will play for the tournament championship on Sunday. This will be the first meeting between the teams since 2013, when Utah State posted a 73-69 win.
Tipoff from HTC Center in Conway, S.C., is set for noon ET. Utah State leads the all-time series 36-30. NMSU is a two-point favorite in the latest New Mexico State vs. Utah State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 133.5. Before making any Utah State vs. New Mexico State picks, make sure you check out the college basketball predictions and betting analysis from the red-hot SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,100 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has locked in on New Mexico State vs. Utah State and released its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Utah State vs. New Mexico State:
- New Mexico State vs. Utah State spread: New Mexico State -2
- New Mexico State vs. Utah State over-under: 133.5 points
- NMSU: New Mexico State is 4-1 in its last five neutral site games
- US: Over the last three years, Utah State is 19-7 in tournament play
Why Utah State can cover
After an opening game loss to UC Davis 72-69, Utah State has defeated Richmond 85-74 and Penn. Senior forward Justin Bean is a big part of the Aggies' success and leads the team, averaging 26.3 points and 14.3 rebounds per game. His 33-point effort in the win over Penn was his second 30-point game of the season. He also grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds. Bean has scored in double figures 48 times in his career and 20 or more six times.
Also powering Utah State is redshirt senior forward Brandon Horvath, a transfer from UMBC. Horvath scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the win over Penn and is averaging 17 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Horvath made his Aggies debut in the season opener against UC Davis, leading the team with 19 points and seven rebounds. Horvath also eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau in that game.
Why New Mexico State can cover
Redshirt junior guard Teddy Allen leads New Mexico State, averaging 17 points and five rebounds per game. In the win over Davidson, Allen scored 21 points and grabbed five rebounds as the Aggies used a big second-half rally to erase a 33-28 halftime deficit. Allen has scored in double figures in all three games this season and in 32 during his career, with stops at West Virginia and Nebraska before coming to New Mexico State. He was a preseason All-WAC first-team selection by conference coaches.
Junior guard Sir'Jabari Rice also had a big game vs. Davidson, finishing with 17 points, one of four Aggies in double figures. For the season, Rice is averaging 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and three assists per game. He has scored in double figures in each of his last five games, dating back to last season. Rice was a preseason All-WAC first-team selection by conference coaches and the media.
How to make New Mexico State vs. Utah State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 139 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in almost 70 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Utah State vs. New Mexico State? And which side of the spread hits in almost 70 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up nearly $2,100 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.