After an excellent first season where the New Mexico State Aggies achieved a winning record, head coach Jerry Kill is primed to build upon that success. Can he find a way to lead the Aggies to an unprecedented second-consecutive winning season in the FBS?
The current college football odds teeter on the fence for New Mexico State win projections as their total is set right at 5.5 for 2023.
College Football Odds – New Mexico State Win Projections: O/U 5.5 Total Wins
The Aggies have worked hard to get off the bottom of the barrel, fighting as an FBS Independent and now as a member of the Conference USA.
They started out their 2022 season 0-4, including a 38-0 loss to Minnesota and 66-7 loss to Wisconsin among those. They righted the ship by their fifth game with a 45-26 win against Hawaii and won their final two games in blowout fashion over Liberty 49-14 and Valparaiso 65-3.
Kill is known for getting the most out of his players and has done that at every stop in his career. Doing so at New Mexico State is even more impressive when you realize they had only won eight total games over the previous four seasons combined.
After spending a few years as an Independent, the Aggies head to a revamped Conference USA for the 2023 season.
The offense returns starting quarterback Diego Pavia, who threw for 13 touchdowns while rushing for six more. Running backs Jamoni Jones and Star Thomas return to form a solid duo in the backfield behind a relatively young offensive line.
The defense will be the calling card for this team, though.
They finished the 2022 season as SP+’s 43rd-ranked defense, which ranked 11th in drives allowed per game (11.4) and did a great job limiting explosive plays.
Should You Bet on the Aggies this Season?
It’s an interesting line from Draft Kings Sportsbook. They have the Aggies -160 to go over and +135 to go under.
This isn’t a bet that you can push, which would make things more comfortable.
This is a very easy schedule with two teams debuting in the FBS in new conference rivals Jacksonville State and Sam Houston.
The hardest games on the schedule are Western Kentucky and Auburn in the middle of November. Going 6-4 to start the season is plausible with this schedule, but can they duplicate their success?
Considering the previous four seasons, that shouldn’t be expected. The Aggies will likely take a step back before Kill’s rebuild is complete.
Bet: Under 5.5 wins (+135)
