The New Mexico State Aggies will visit the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Tuesday evening. After a shaky start to the season, the Aggies are up to 5-3 and 3-1 in CUSA play. The Bulldogs are 3-5 and 2-2 in CUSA play. Let’s dig into today’s New Mexico State-Louisiana Tech odds as we make our predictions and pick the best college football Week 9 bet! As always, make sure to check out OddsShopper’s bet shopping pages to ensure you get the best deal on the market.
New Mexico State-Louisiana Tech Pick & Betting Prediction | College Football Week 9
New Mexico State-Louisiana Tech Betting Odds
Odds via bet365
NMSU: +115 | Louisiana Tech: -135
NMSU +2.5: -110 | Louisiana Tech -2.5: -110
Over 52: -110 | Under 52: -110
Expert: Isaiah Sirois
Time: Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. ET
New Mexico State-Louisiana Tech Pick & Prediction
The New Mexico State Aggies come into this one with some momentum. They’ve rolled out to three straight conference wins and dominated UTEP on the road last weekend. Quarterback Diego Pavia is rolling — he ranks eighth in yards per pass attempt (9.5) and 13th in passing efficiency (164.6) on the year. New Mexico State’s offense ranks a bad 95th in the Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI), but that’s not terrible by 2023 CUSA standards.
On the other hand, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are reeling but are coming off a bye. They just dropped a road game to Middle Tennessee State two weeks ago after falling to Western Kentucky at home. Quarterback Jack Turner ranks 69th in yards per pass attempt (7) and 86th in passing efficiency (121.1), neither of which are good, and the Bulldogs offense ranks 104th in the FEI. Unlike Pavia, who has added a monstrous 525 rushing yards and four scores with his legs, Turner has added just 62 rushing yards and two scores.
The Bulldogs could pivot back to their Week 0 starter at quarterback, Hank Bachmeier, who entered in the third quarter and proceeded to outperform Turner in most metrics. Bachmeier still trails Pavia in yards per pass attempt (7.5) and passing efficiency (138.7), albeit by a smaller margin. He flashed some upside while at Boise State and owns career numbers of 7.5 and 136.8 in those metrics. However, like Turner, he lacks mobility.
The offense is only half the story, and the quarterbacks are less than half — but the defensive matchup also favors New Mexico State. The Aggies rank 66th in yards allowed per pass attempt (7.4) and 74th in yards allowed per rush attempt (4.3). The Bulldogs rank 28th (6.5) and 110th (5), respectively. Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg ran for 157 yards and a score against them in late September. Even if the Bulldogs can limit Pavia through the air, I expect big things from him on the ground.
You’ll find New Mexico State priced between +104 and +120 across the market. The best line, the +120, is only available at BetMGM. Pinnacle, a sharp book, is only selling the Aggies at +111. New Mexico State can secure a six-win season with a victory on Tuesday night, and even though they’ll have to head into hostile territory to get it done, they’re up to 2-1-1 ATS on the road and are covering by an average margin of 5.9.
NMSU-Louisiana Tech Week 9 Pick: NMSU Moneyline +120 at BetMGM
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