New Mexico Lobos vs San Jose State Spartans Prediction, 1/31/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: New Mexico Lobos vs San Jose State Spartans

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Location: Provident Credit Union Event Center in San Jose, CA

TV: ESPN+

The New Mexico Lobos (17-4) are en route to Provident Credit Union Event Center on Saturday where they will try to defeat the San Jose State Spartans (6-15).

The New Mexico Lobos faced off with UNLV and notched a win by a score of 89-61 in their last game. When talking about fouls, the Lobos finished with 14 and UNLV finished the game with 16 fouls. They made 4 out of their 18 tries from long range. UNLV shot 76.5% at the charity stripe by converting 13 of 17 attempts. Additionally, UNLV collected 30 rebounds (7 offensive, 23 defensive), but didn't have a block. UNLV recorded 13 assists and had 6 steals in this contest. Concerning the defense, New Mexico let their opponent shoot 37.3% from the field on 22 out of 59 shooting. They also dished out 21 assists for the contest as well as forcing 15 turnovers and earning 8 steals. In regard to rebounding, they compiled 36 with 8 of them being of the offensive variety. At the free throw line, the Lobos converted 13 of 18 shots for a percentage of 72.2%. New Mexico finished the contest with a 50.8% FG percentage (33 of 65) and knocked down 10 of their 24 shots from beyond the perimeter.

Tomislav Buljan is someone who was a major factor in this game. He recorded 18 points on 8 of 13 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 22 mins and collected 11 boards. He ended up shooting 61.5% from the floor and dished out 1 assist.

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New Mexico comes into this game with a record of 17-4 for the campaign. They are turning it over 11.1 times per game and as a team they are committing 17.5 fouls every game. As a unit, New Mexico is grabbing 37.3 rebounds per contest and has 317 assists for the season, which has them ranked 124th in college hoops in terms of passing. The Lobos are hitting 34.9% on shots from downtown (204 of 585) and 74.8% from the charity stripe. They average 81.1 pts per game (86th in college) while connecting on 45.4% from the floor.

On the defensive end of the court, the Lobos are forcing 14.8 turnovers per game and they draw 19.0 fouls. They currently rank 68th in college in giving up assists with 246 surrendered so far this season. The Lobos defense is allowing a FG percentage of 40.0% (483 of 1,208) and they concede 34.9 rebounds per contest as a squad. They give up 28.7% on shots from beyond the arc while they are 45th in college in points per game allowed (67.5).

The last time they took the court, the San Jose State Spartans walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 89-58 when they faced Boise State. The Spartans earned 11 defensive boards and 7 offensive boards for a total of 18 for the contest. They turned the ball over 11 times, while getting 3 steals in the game. Boise State was called for 20 fouls in this matchup which got the Spartans to the charity stripe for 18 tries. They were able to make 10 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 55.6%. With respect to three-point attempts, San Jose State made 8 of their 22 tries (36.4%). When the final whistle was blown, the Spartans went 20 for 53 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 37.7%. The Spartans permitted Boise State to convert 33 of 56 tries from the field which gave them a rate of 58.9% for the matchup. They wrapped up this game 31.3% from beyond the perimeter by going 5 out of 16 and finished the contest at 18 out of 25 at the charity stripe (72.0%). When discussing cleaning up the glass, San Jose State permitted Boise State to grab 38 overall (10 offensive).

Sadraque Nganga was important for the Spartans for the contest. He converted 5 of 11 in this contest giving him a rate of 45.5%, and added 2 rebounds. He scored 15 points in his 25 minutes on the court, but didn't get an assist.

San Jose State has a mark of 6-15 on the campaign. When it comes to offensive execution, the Spartans are shooting 42.7% from the floor, which is ranked 309th in the nation. San Jose State has earned 1,463 pts so far this year (69.7 per contest) and they average 30.3 rebounds per game. They are assisting teammates 10.2 times per contest (363rd in D-1) and they lose possession via turnover 11.7 times per contest. The Spartans have committed 17.5 fouls per game and they connect on 73.0% from the free throw line.

The Spartans are ranked 250th in college hoops in points per game surrendered with 76.3. They are forcing their opponents into 12.1 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 48.9% from the floor (355th in college hoops). The San Jose State defense surrenders 36.1% on three-point shots (167 of 463) and opponents are connecting on 76.6% of their free throw attempts. They surrender 16.0 assists and 33.6 boards per game, which ranks them 329th and 130th in college hoops.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take New Mexico

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