New Mexico State Aggies vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Prediction, 2/26/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: New Mexico State Aggies vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026

Location: E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, KY

TV: ESPN+

E.A. Diddle Arena is the location where the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (16-11) will meet the New Mexico State Aggies (13-13) on Thursday.

The New Mexico State Aggies faced UTEP and took home the win by a score of 67-63 in their last game. In the matter of fouls, the Aggies ended up walking away with 11 and UTEP had 11 fouls. They also knocked down 8 of 27 shots from distance. UTEP finished shooting 84.6% from the free throw line by burying 11 of their 13 tries. Additionally, UTEP totaled 31 rebounds (7 offensive, 24 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. UTEP distributed 5 dimes and had 2 steals in this matchup. When discussing the defense, New Mexico State allowed the other team to go 40.0% from the field on 22 out of 55 shooting. They also doled out 14 assists for this game while forcing 6 turnovers and having 2 steals. In the matter of grabbing rebounds, they collected a total of 34 with 13 of them being on the offensive end. From the free throw line, the Aggies buried 5 of 7 attempts for a percentage of 71.4%. New Mexico State finished with a 40.9% field goal percentage (27 of 66) and made 8 of 26 3-point shots.

Jemel Jones is a guy who was a major factor for the game. He ended up walking away with 21 points on 8 out of 14 shooting. He played for 32 mins played and also collected 4 rebounds. He finished the contest at 57.1% from the floor and also recorded 3 dimes.

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New Mexico State will play this contest with a record of 13-13 for the year. They are giving up possession 10.5 times per contest and as a team are committing 19.5 personal fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, New Mexico State is pulling down 37.6 rebounds per game and is sitting with 354 dimes so far this year, which is 270th in D-1 in terms of passing. The Aggies are hitting 34.1% on shots beyond the perimeter (209 of 613) and 73.0% from the free throw line. They are averaging 75.5 points per outing (195th in the country) while hitting 43.6% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Aggies are able to force 11.2 turnovers per contest while drawing 16.6 personal fouls. They rank 5th in college hoops in giving up assists to their opponents with 285 surrendered on the campaign. The Aggies are allowing a field goal percentage of 40.7% (594 of 1,461) and they relinquish 34.5 boards per contest as a team. They relinquish 30.9% on 3-pointers while they are 95th in Division 1 in PPG allowed (70.8).

When they last stepped on the court, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers walked away with a victory by a final of 94-73 against Liberty. The Hilltoppers earned 23 defensive boards and 10 offensive rebounds totaling 33 for the matchup. They also coughed it up 8 times, while getting 10 steals in this contest. Liberty committed 16 fouls for this contest which took the Hilltoppers to the charity stripe for a total of 23 attempts. They were able to knock down 22 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 95.7%. In relation to shots from downtown, Western Kentucky made 10 of 21 attempts (47.6%). When the game finished, the Hilltoppers finished 31 for 59 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 52.5%. The Hilltoppers permitted Liberty to make 25 of 45 tries from the floor which gave them a percentage of 55.6% in this contest. They wrapped up this game 28.6% from 3-point land by hitting 6 out of 21 and ended up shooting 17 out of 29 at the free throw line (58.6%). In relation to attacking the glass, Western Kentucky allowed Liberty to grab 19 in total (1 offensive).

Grant Newell was important for the Hilltoppers for this game. He made 7 out of 15 in the game giving him a rate of 46.7%, and added 8 rebounds. He totaled 21 points in his 33 mins on the hardwood and had 3 assists for the matchup.

Western Kentucky has a win-loss record of 16-11 for the season. The Hilltoppers have committed 19.7 personal fouls per game and they go 76.5% from the charity stripe. They are dishing out assists 13.1 times per contest (247th in college) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 10.4 times per game. Western Kentucky has scored 2,119 pts for the campaign (78.5 per contest) and they snag 39.8 boards per game. When it comes to offense, the Hilltoppers are hitting on 40.4% from the field, which ranks them 356th in the country.

The Western Kentucky defense concedes 34.2% on shots from beyond the arc (227 of 663) and their opposition makes 69.0% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have given up 14.3 dimes and 37.5 boards on a nightly basis, ranking them 260th and 333rd in those categories. The Hilltoppers on defense are ranked 221st in Division 1 in points given up per game with 75.0. They are able to force 12.7 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 43.0% from the floor (113th in the country).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take New Mexico State

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