MWC foes will clash when the New Mexico Lobos (5-8) take on the Air Force Falcons (6-6) at Dreamstyle Arena. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 143 points with New Mexico opening as a 10-point favorite. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 27, 2017.
Air Force Falcons at New Mexico Lobos Odds Preview
The Falcons had no trouble getting past the Johnson & Wales (CO) Wildcats in their last matchup, 111-68. Jonathan DeWane was the top scorer from either team with 22 points on 10-for-12 shooting. Air Force played a perfect game. They had an absurd offensive rebounding percentage of 44.8 (above their season average of 28.1) and a turnover percentage of 9.3 (better than their season average of 18.5). Johnson & Wales (CO) was 13.2 and 15.6, respectively, for those same stats.
In the Lobos last matchup, they defeated the Prairie View A&M Panthers, 87-78. With 20 points on 4-for-8 shooting, Joe Furstinger was New Mexico’s leading scorer. New Mexico dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a ridiculous free throw rate of 0.333 (above their season average of 0.231) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 42.9 (above their season average of 27.9). For those same stats, Prairie View A&M was 0.155 and 27.3, respectively.
It will be a showdown of conflicting tempos as the up-tempo Lobos will look to push the slower-paced Falcons. The Lobos currently rank 34th in possessions per game while the Falcons are 274th.
Games featuring these teams have typically finished under the O/U total. Air Force games have gone under 57.1 percent of the time, while New Mexico games have finished under 60.0 percent of the time. The Falcons have the superior straight up (SU) record (6-6 vs. 5-8) and a narrow edge against the spread (ATS) (4-3 vs. 4-7).
This is the first time these teams will clash this year, after the Lobos won the lone game last season, 74-67. The Lobos played a nearly perfect game. They had a ridiculously low turnover percentage of 6.9 and an absurd free throw rate of 0.364. The Falcons put up marks of 16.7 and 0.232, respectively, for those same stats.
Air Force Falcons at New Mexico Lobos ATS Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – New Mexico, ATS Winner – New Mexico, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Lobos rank 45th in steals per game (7.8) while the Falcons rank 126th (6.3).
- On the road, Air Force is 2-2 ATS with 3 unders and 1 over.
- New Mexico is 3-3 ATS at home with 3 overs and 2 unders.
- New Mexico ranks fifth in three pointers attempted per game (31.4) while Air Force ranks 237th in three pointers allowed per game (24.6).
- The Falcons rank 92nd in rebounds allowed per game (32.2) while the Lobos rank 236th (39.5).
- New Mexico ranks 66th in assists per game (15.8) while Air Force ranks 177th in assists allowed per game (13.1).
Bettings Trends:
- New Mexico is 1-3 ATS with 2 overs and 1 under in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Air Force is 0-1 ATS with 1 under.
- The Lobos have been outscored by an average of 3.8 points in their last five games. For the season, New Mexico has defeated opponents by an average of 3.6 points.
- During their last five games, the Falcons have scored an average of 70.0 points per game (0.8 above their season average) and allowed an average of 68.6 points per game (0.0 above their season average).
