Make New York Post a Preferred Source New Mexico State Aggies wide receiver TK King celebrates. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect New Mexico State has been all over the map through its first five games of the season. The Aggies gave Florida State a decent test in Week 0, crushed FCS Mercyhurst in Week 1, but then lost to Hawaii and New Mexico in discouraging performances.
But just when it looked like the wheels were coming off, New Mexico State put together a comprehensive victory over Western Kentucky on Thursday night.
That win didn’t do much to sway the market, as money has come in on FIU all week for Wednesday’s game against the Aggies at Pitbull Stadium.
FIU opened as a 3.5-point favorite, but the Panthers now sit at -6.5 with juice trending towards 7.
FIU will be wearing their “Pink Panthers” Miami Vice uniforms on Wednesday, so this game should be a festival for the senses. What I can’t promise is that the football will be exciting.
Things looked better for the Aggies offensively against Western Kentucky last week, which helped boost some of New Mexico State’s numbers, but they still rank 112th in offensive SP+ and have hit the 20-point mark just once in four games against FBS opponents.
New Mexico State Aggies head coach Tony Sanchez. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Things won’t get any easier against FIU, which boasts one of the best defenses in the Group of 6. In fact, the Panthers rank fifth overall in yards per play allowed (3.9).
The flipside is that FIU’s offense really leaves no margin for error for the defense. The Panthers rank 119th in offensive SP+, and they’ve already had two games where they scored 10 or fewer points.
And it’s not like those contests were against juggernauts, either. South Florida held FIU to nine points, while FAU kept them to 10. Heck, even LIU kept a lid on the Panthers in a 20-3 defeat at Pitbull Stadium.
This game may look good from a fashion perspective, but it’s hard to see how it gets beyond the 46.5-point total.
The Play: Under 46.5 points (-110, DraftKings)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
