Air Force Falcons vs New Mexico Lobos Prediction, 3/13/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Air Force Falcons vs New Mexico Lobos

Date: Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Location: Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, NV

TV: ESPN+

The Air Force Falcons (9-21) are en route to Thomas & Mack Center on Wednesday where they will attempt to beat the New Mexico Lobos (22-9).

The Air Force Falcons stepped onto the hardwood against Colorado State and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 82-73 in their last contest. Air Force walked away from the game with a 47.1% FG percentage (24 of 51) and made 9 of their 22 three-point attempts. From the free throw line, the Falcons converted 16 of 20 shots for a rate of 80.0%. In the matter of pulling down rebounds, they compiled a total of 27 with 9 of them being of the offensive variety. They also doled out 12 assists in this game while forcing 8 turnovers and earning 4 steals. In the matter of defense, Air Force allowed their opponent to shoot 65.9% from the field on 27 out of 41 shooting. Colorado State dished out 10 assists and had 3 steals in this matchup. In addition, Colorado State collected 23 boards (3 offensive, 20 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Colorado State finished the game shooting 64.7% from the free throw line by knocking down 22 of 34 attempts. They also made 6 of 17 shots from distance. Concerning fouls, the Falcons walked away with 21 and Colorado State accumulated 20 fouls.

Rytis Petraitis is one player who played a role for the contest. He finished 66.7% from the floor and also distributed 4 assists. He played 37 minutes played and collected 8 rebounds. He accumulated 27 points on 10 out of 15 shooting.

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Air Force heads into this game with a mark of 9-21 on the year. They are averaging 66.5 pts per contest (331st in Division 1) while shooting 45.5% from the floor. The Falcons are hitting 36.5% on 3-point shots (266 of 729) and 68.2% from the charity stripe. As a team, Air Force is collecting 28.2 rebounds per game and has totaled 438 assists on the year, which is 125th in college hoops in terms of passing the ball. They lose possession by turning the ball over 11.9 times per game and as a group are committing 17.5 fouls per contest.

On the defensive end, the Falcons are forcing their opponents into 11.3 turnovers per game and they draw 16.0 fouls. They are currently ranked 83rd in the nation in allowing assists with 365 surrendered on the season. The Falcons defense is giving up a FG percentage of 47.5% (742 of 1,563) and they surrender 32.4 rebounds per game as a squad. They are relinquishing 36.9% on three-point shots and they rank 183rd in college hoops in PPG from their opponents (72.0).

When they last stepped on the court, the New Mexico Lobos went home defeated by a final of 87-85 when they faced Utah State. The Lobos recorded 20 defensive boards and 13 offensive rebounds for a total of 33 for the contest. They also turned the ball over 12 times, while recording 8 steals in the game. Utah State committed 18 fouls for the game which got the Lobos to the charity stripe for a total of 18 attempts. They were able to bury 11 of those for a percentage of 61.1%. In regard to shots from beyond the perimeter, New Mexico converted 6 out of their 15 tries (40.0%). When the final whistle blew, the Lobos finished the game shooting 34 out of 65 from the floor which gave them a rate of 52.3%. The Lobos permitted Utah State to bury 30 of their 56 attempts from the field which gave them a percentage of 53.6% in this contest. They wrapped up this game 30.0% from three-point range via 6 out of 20 and walked away from this one shooting 21 of 28 from the free throw line (75.0%). Regarding attacking the glass, New Mexico permitted Utah State to snag 26 in total (5 on the offensive glass).

Mustapha Amzil was important for the Lobos for this contest. He made 6 of 8 for the matchup giving him a rate of 75.0%, and had 5 rebounds. He had 18 points in his 32 mins of playing time and had 2 dimes in the matchup.

New Mexico has a win-loss mark of 22-9 for the year. In terms of offensive execution, the Lobos are shooting 46.3% from the floor, which ranks 83rd in college basketball. New Mexico has 2,560 pts so far this year (82.6 per contest) and they pull in 39.2 boards per contest. They are assisting teammates 14.8 times per game (88th in college basketball) and they turn the ball over 10.2 times per game. The Lobos have committed 17.9 fouls per game and they go 70.6% from the free throw line.

The Lobos defensively are ranked 173rd in D-1 in PPG given up with 71.7. They are forcing 14.4 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 43.2% from the floor (152nd in college basketball). The New Mexico defense concedes 31.3% on shots from behind the 3-point line (200 of 640) and their opposition knocks down 72.4% of their shots from the charity stripe. They give up 13.5 dimes and 34.9 rebounds every game, which is 236th and 191st in those defensive categories.

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take New Mexico

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