FIU travels to Las Cruces on Wednesday night, looking to bag their first Conference USA win of the 2023 college football season. Facing them is a New Mexico State Aggies team trying to do exactly the same, so someone has to get the ball rolling in conference play.
Who emerges victorious? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a New Mexico State vs. FIU prediction.
New Mexico State vs. FIU Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Want to take advantage of the New Mexico State vs. FIU odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page.
- Spread
New Mexico State -6.5 - Moneyline
New Mexico State -245, FIU +200 - Over/Under
48 points - Game time
9 p.m. ET - Location
Aggie Memorial Stadium, Las Cruces, NM - Predicted Weather at Kick
62.6 degrees, 5.6 mph winds, clear - How to Watch
FuboTV, CBS Sports Network
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Do you feel like FIU is the team for you this Wednesday evening or will you place some stakes on New Mexico State? If you’re going to take advantage of the New Mexico State vs. FIU odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
There have just been two previous matchups between FIU and New Mexico State, with the series split at 1-1. The Panthers got the better of their new conference foe last fall, with a comfortable 21-7 win in Las Cruces. The only other game was back in 2004, where the Aggies were a big winner in a high-scoring 56-31 game.
Coming into the game, New Mexico State is 1-1 when favored on the money line, while FIU is 2-2 as an underdog. There are no real betting trends to suggest one team as an advantage, but our New Mexico State vs. FIU prediction offers some explanation as to why the Aggies can win as the favorite tonight.
One trend could be key, however. If you’re looking to bet the spread, FIU is 3-1 covering as an underdog. Their Week 4 loss to Liberty was the only game where they failed to cover when unfavored. Meanwhile, the Aggies are 1-1 against the spread when the favorite. Our New Mexico State vs. FIU prediction suggests the Panthers cover in a close-fought defeat.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
New Mexico State Depth Chart | FIU Depth Chart
- QB Diego Pavia, New Mexico State ($11.000)
- QB Keyone Jenkins, FIU ($8,200)
- RB Kejon Owens, FIU ($7,500)
- RB Shomari Lawrence, FIU ($7,000)
- RB Star Thomas, New Mexico State ($6,700)
- RB Monte Watkins, New Mexico State ($6,400)
- RB Jamoni Jones, New Mexico State ($5,300)
- RB Antonio Patterson, FIU ($5,000)
- WR Trent Hudson, New Mexico State ($8,000)
- WR Kris Mitchell, FIU ($7,800)
- WR Jonathan Brady, New Mexico State ($6,600)
- WR Jalen Bracey, FIU ($6,000)
- WR Jordin Parker, New Mexico State ($5,800)
- WR Chris Bellamy, New Mexico State ($5,500)
- WR Jordan Smith, New Mexico State ($5,300)
- WR Dean Patterson, FIU ($5,200)
- TE Thomaz Whitford, New Mexico State ($5,000)
- TE Josiah Miamen, FIU ($5,000)
There are two college football games on Wednesday to compile your DFS team from in Week 5. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “superflex” that can be any of the above. You can also select a tight end for this spot.
New Mexico State QB Diego Pavia is the highest-scoring quarterback for fantasy purposes playing Wednesday, but he might not be the best value pick. His dual-threat capability makes him an alluring option, but he’s yet to find the end zone on the ground, despite two games in a row with 90-plus rushing yards. There are better options in the other game today.
Jacksonville State RB Malik Jackson is the obvious choice for one of your position slots, but your New Mexico State vs. FIU picks should include Aggies standout Star Thomas. He leads the team in rushing touchdowns and doubles up as a receiving threat. The Panthers have been susceptible to the ground game, so this should be a good matchup for Thomas to thrive.
FIU WR Kris Mitchell is a solid bet to land you some decent fantasy points. The Panthers pass catcher leads all CUSA WRs with 69.6 fantasy points, has been good for 70-plus yards in every game but one, and has a touchdown in every game except one when having more than one reception. NMSU WR Jonathan Brady is also a good option, averaging 25.2 yards per catch.
Prediction for New Mexico State vs. FIU
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the New Mexico State vs. FIU odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction. Will the Panthers get their first CUSA win of the season and move to 4-2 on the year, or will the Aggies level up their record at 3-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play?
Florida International comes into the game off a bye week, following their shellacking at the hands of Liberty. The Flames tortured the Panthers’ defense on the ground, rushing for over 350 yards and three scores. The FIU defense has been prone to a strong rushing attack, giving up over 200 yards to the run in their win over North Texas.
That win over the Mean Green was something of an irregularity in the Panthers’ season. They put up 46 points behind freshman QB Keyone Jenkins and RB Kejon Owens, but that game aside, they’ve not put up more than 24 points on any other team and have limped in under 20 points in three of their five games.
FIU’s offensive success will rely on the return of OL John Bock III and Jacob Peace. Without those two, the offense floundered under a ferocious Liberty attack just over a week ago. HC Mike MacIntyre stated that Bock will definitely return against New Mexico State, but Peace’s status is unknown at the time of writing.
Even the return of their impactful offensive linemen might not be enough to get FIU a winning result in Las Cruces on Wednesday night.
While New Mexico State is one of just five teams in the FBS to not secure an interception this fall, they’ve only given up six passing touchdowns while restricting opposing quarterbacks to a 58.8 completion percentage. Their run defense is better than FIU’s, and they have Pavia as a quarterback, who can take advantage of the Panthers in the same way Kaidon Salter did in Week 4.
Prediction: New Mexico State 27, FIU 24