UTEP at New Mexico State +5.5
Recommendation: New Mexico State
Great situational spot to get a full effort from a home underdog as New Mexico State plays host to rival UTEP. These two teams hooked up a week ago today with the Miners cruising to victory, 73-56. The Aggies had plenty of roster turnover from last year but there is still some talent and the 2-4 start had a lot to do with road tilts against tough opponents Arizona, UMass and of course UTEP. The Miners just got finished with a two-game tournament in New Jersey where they defeated Michigan and lost to Georgia Tech. They last played on Saturday and may not be 100% focused, especially after a rather easy victory in game one of the series. Overall, UTEP is the better team; one that I think will continue to get better as the season progresses. New Mexico State is a little bit of an unknown and probably won't reach its full potential until all-conference forward Wendell McKines returns from a foot injury. I do however like the spot and think the home court is enough to warrant a play on the underdog.
