Wednesday nights are CUSA nights, and in Week 7, the 3-3 New Mexico State Aggies welcome a Sam Houston Bearkats team looking for their first win since entering the FBS ranks at the start of the 2023 college football season.
Who emerges victorious? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a New Mexico State vs. Sam Houston prediction.
New Mexico State vs. Sam Houston Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Tuesday, Otc. 10, 2023. Want to take advantage of the New Mexico State vs. Sam Houston odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
New Mexico State -3.5 - Moneyline
New Mexico State -170, Sam Houston +142 - Over/Under
41.5 points - Game time
9 p.m. ET - Location
Aggie Memorial Stadium, Las Cruces, NM - Predicted Weather at Kick
64 degrees, 9-11 mph winds, clear - How to Watch
FuboTV, CBS Sports Network
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Willing to make a stake on New Mexico State? Will you be the one to back the Bearkats as they look for their first win of the year? If you’re going to take advantage of the New Mexico State vs. Sam Houston odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
It was discussed during the broadcast of their defeat to Liberty that many consider this the best opportunity for the Bearkats to get their first win of the season under their belts. They’ve been growing and developing, and in the last two games, they’ve taken two of the better teams in CUSA down to the wire. Yet, they enter the game as a betting underdog for the sixth time in 2023.
As our New Mexico State vs. Sam Houston prediction explains, this may be another game too soon for the Bearkats. However, there’s the potential for them to cover the spread here. KC Keeler’s team is 3-1-1 against the spread so far this season, and their margins of defeat have come down over the past three games.
The point line for this game presumably factors in the Bearkats’ anemic offense but also their ability to play strong defense to nullify what can be a rampant New Mexico State offense. In the 11 games the two have contested so far, the over has been hit in five, but with such a low line, there’s the potential to hit the over. It’s an approach with caution, but approach nonetheless.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
New Mexico State Depth Chart | Sam Houston Depth Chart
- QB Diego Pavia, New Mexico State ($12,000)
- QB Keegan Shoemaker, Sam Houston ($8,600)
- QB Grant Gunnell, Sam Houston ($5,500)
- RB Star Thomas, New Mexico State ($8,000)
- RB John Gentry, Sam Houston ($7,000)
- RB Ahmonte Watkins, New Mexico State ($6,800)
- RB Zach Hrbacek, Sam Houston ($5,600)
- RB Jamoni Jones, New Mexico State ($5,200)
- RB Tobias Weaver, Sam Houston ($4,800)
- WR Noah Smith, Sam Houston ($8,800)
- WR Trent Hudson, New Mexico State ($7,600)
- WR Al’Vonte Woodard, Sam Houston ($7,200)
- WR Jordin Parker, New Mexico State ($6,600)
- WR Jonathan Brady, New Mexico State ($6,600)
- WR Malik Phillips, Sam Houston ($6,000)
- WR Chris Bellamy, New Mexico State ($5,900)
- TE Thomaz Whitford, New Mexico State ($5,100)
- QB Trapper Pannell, Sam Houston ($5,000)
There are two college football games on Wednesday to compile your DFS team from in Week 7. 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. Or you can also select a tight end for the Superflex spot.
We’re not ones for negativity here, usually focusing on who you should start rather than who you shouldn’t. However, we also have our ear to the ground so you don’t have to spend the time wading through social media looking for injury reports ahead of the game.
Sam Houston running back John Gentry, who has been a big part of the offensive improvement over the past two games, will be out alongside a number of running backs. Tobias Weaver is expected to handle a significant workload, but the loss of Gentry’s carries and catches will have a fantasy impact on Sam Houston QB Keegan Shoemaker and the rest of the offense.
Who should you target? New Mexico State trio Diego Pavia, Star Thomas, and Jonathan Brady are all high-scoring fantasy players in CUSA. Meanwhile, Noah Smith’s sheer volume of targets make him a desirable acquisition. Trapper Pannell is intriguing as the top touchdown scorer for the offense despite having just 12 touches, but you’d have to find him in the QB section and it’d take away from your QB of choice.
Prediction for New Mexico State vs. Sam Houston
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the New Mexico State vs. Sam Houston odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction. Can the Bearkats get that first win on the board after two weeks of coming up just short? Or will New Mexico State prove too hot to handle under the Las Cruces lights?
After a difficult start to their time in the FBS, magnified by a brutal opening schedule, Sam Houston is beginning to find their feet on offense. In the past two games, they’ve played two of the best teams in CUSA close, teams with impressive defenses that include a Liberty unit that leads the country in interceptions.
Quarterback Shoemaker is coming off the best performance of his short FBS career, while former Texas wide receiver Al’Vonte Woodard now leads the team in receiving touchdowns after torturing the Flames defense in Week 6.
The New Mexico State defense is ripe for the picking if Shoemaker can find Woodard or Noah Smith consistently. They’ve given up 8.1 yards per play to the passing game so far this season while registering a conference-low two interceptions. It’s a far different proposition to the Liberty and Jacksonville State defenses they faced the last two weeks. However…
Already dealing with substantial injuries to key parts of their offense, the announcement that running back Gentry will be absent on Wednesday night is a significant stumbling block. He’s been the force behind any ground attack and an outlet in the passing game.
While the Sam Houston defense has been impressive at times — no other team has held Air Force below 30 this year — the big-play New Mexico State attack — fourth in the country for yards per play — led by Diego Pavia is likely to be able to out-last and outscore the Bearkats offense. A close victory for Jerry Kill’s team and another week of waiting for an FBS win for the Bearkats.
Prediction: New Mexico State 24, Sam Houston 21