LAS VEGAS – If Fresno State and New Mexico are referred to as 'cover machines' again they are in austere charge of repair. The Bulldogs are 1-3 ATS and the Lobos 0-3 ATS advanced of anniversary school's aboriginal Mountain West Appointment bold of the year (Friday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN 2).
The Line: Fresno State -5.5, Total: 73
Line movement: The Wynn opened with Fresno State as a 4.5-point admired and Treasure Island alike outdid that, aperture the Bulldogs at -3.5. Midweek accord has Fresno State at -5.5, with the advance actuality dealt as low as -5 and as aerial as -6. For adapted spreads and totals from about Las Vegas, appointment our alive allowance board.
Trends that matter: Fresno State is 7-3 ATS in its aftermost 10 amateur adjoin a aggregation with a accident record, but 0-4 ATS in its aftermost four alley games. New Mexico is 7-3 in its aftermost 10 afterward a SU win but 1-5 ATS in its aftermost six overall. Both teams are trending OVER, as Fresno State is 4-0 to the OVER this season, and New Mexico is 6-1 to the OVER in its aftermost seven home games. Most importantly, Fresno State is 4-0 SU and ATS in its aftermost four affairs adjoin New Mexico.
Stiff competition: Fresno State is alone 1-3 SU this division and every bold it's played has been a blowout. The better dog the Bulldogs accept been was +18.5 in the opener adjoin USC, and yet every bold they've absent has been by 32 or more. All of their aboriginal three opponents, though, are in the top 40 of the Don Best/Linemakers poll.
Then, aftermost week, the whipping boys from Southern Utah came to boondocks and the Bulldogs ashamed them, acceptable 56-16 as 17.5-point favorites.
Fresno State has already played its toughest amateur of the year four amateur into the season. Sure, accessible alley amateur in appointment comedy will not be easy, but none of them will bout the akin of USC, Nebraska and Utah. A win band appears acceptable in the abreast future.
The quarterback job appears to be inferior Brian Burrell's to lose, admitting annihilation is set in stone. Burrell has befuddled for bristles touchdowns and has run for 116 yards on the season. In aftermost year's matchup, Fresno dead UNM 69-28 as a 34.5-point admired but that was with quarterback Derek Carr and receiver Davante Adams.
None shall pass: Out of 128 teams that administer for rankings, New Mexico is 126th in casual yards, averaging 88 per game. Luckily, they are able active the ball, which is acutely the character of this football team.
Quarterback Cole Gautsche leads the aggregation in hasty with 237 yards, while active backs Jhurell Pressley, Teriyon Gipson and Crusoe Gongbay all accept about 200 yards apiece.
So, who's the starting quarterback for the Lobos? Who cares? In their 38-35 animosity win over New Mexico State a anniversary ago, four altered players attempted and completed passes for a admirable absolute of 67 yards.
UNM had a bye a brace weeks back, which is why they're alone 1-2 SU (0-3 ATS) so far. They were agitated in their opener as a 10-point admired hosting UTEP, and their aftermost two amateur accept gone OVER the total.
Injuries that matter: Fresno State arresting aback Shannon Edwards (shoulder) is ambiguous for Friday night.
UNM abhorrent lineman Johnny Vizcaino (concussion) is additionally questionable.
Weather: The anticipation calls for balmy temperatures, around 76 degrees, and there a 40 percent adventitious for a thunderstorm. Appointment Weather Underground for the latest forecast.
Handicapping tools: Fresno State-UNM antagonism assay | Power Ratings | FRES aggregation folio | UNM aggregation page
The Linemakers' lean: New Mexico has fabricated above strides beneath Bob Davie. The Lobos accept absent by an boilerplate of aloof 7.1 credibility per bold in Davies' three seasons; they absent by 26 credibility per bold in the three seasons afore he arrived. We see New Mexico befitting this bold abutting and possibly alike acceptable absolute as the home dog.
We additionally accept a angular to the OVER. Sure, it's a aerial number, but both teams can move the brawl bottomward the acreage and neither puts up abundant attrition defensively.
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