New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico State vs Fresno State Odds, and Picks (Dec 16)

• New Mexico State came up short against Liberty in the C-USA title game.
• Fresno State has lost three straight games, after starting the season 8-1.
• These two teams last met on September 28, 2019, in a game Fresno State won 30-17.

The college football season has reached the bowl games! Let’s preview the 2023 New Mexico Bowl game between the New Mexico State Aggies and the Fresno State Bulldogs, two very capable Group of 5 teams.

How to Watch

• ESPN

Preview

New Mexico State was unable to take down an undefeated Liberty team in the C-USA title game, but still had a fantastic season. Prior to this year, the Aggies had not reached 8 wins in a season since 1965. Now, they’ve well surpassed that, reaching 10 wins with a chance to climb to 11. New Mexico State’s immediate success under 2nd-year head coach Jerry Kill has been impressive, marking their 2nd straight bowl game.

Fresno State started the year out strong, climbing to an 8-1 record, and reaching the AP Top 25 rankings. Unfortunately, they collapsed down the stretch, losing their final three games by a combined score of 100-53. The Bulldogs have struggled on offense since losing QB Mikey Keene to a head injury last month. Their offense shut down without him, and they need to find a way to bounce back even if Keene doesn’t play.

Prediction

Despite Fresno State’s struggles over the last month of the season, I would consider them the better team in this matchup. That’s why it’s very surprising to me to see them enter this game as pretty decent-sized underdogs. Part of that may be due to the uncertain status of QB Mikey Keene. The Bulldogs are certainly less of an offensive threat without him, but I still like their chances of coming away with a win in this game.

NCAAF Picks:

• Fresno State 27, New Mexico State 23 ()