Liberty Flames vs New Mexico State Aggies Prediction, 2/13/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Liberty Flames vs New Mexico State Aggies

Date: Thursday, February 13, 2025

Location: Pan American Center in Las Cruces, NM

TV: ESPN+

The New Mexico State Aggies (12-11) will go up against the Liberty Flames (19-5) at Pan American Center on Thursday.

The Liberty Flames faced Sam Houston State and earned the victory with a final of 64-61 in their last game. In regard to personal fouls, the Flames ended up with 19 and Sam Houston State totaled 21 personal fouls. They also made 5 of 19 shots from three-point range. Sam Houston State finished 73.7% when shooting free throws by knocking down 14 of their 19 attempts. Moreover, Sam Houston State pulled down 31 rebounds (8 offensive, 23 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Sam Houston State distributed 11 assists and had 8 steals in this contest. In terms of defending, Liberty let their opponent shoot 40.4% from the floor on 21 of 52 shooting. They also distributed 12 assists in the matchup while forcing the opposition into 15 turnovers and earning 5 steals. Pertaining to rebounding, they collected a total of 24 with 4 of them being of the offensive variety. From the free throw line, the Flames made 13 of their 16 tries for a rate of 81.3%. Liberty finished the game having earned a 43.8% FG percentage (21 of 48) and made 9 of 28 shots from 3-point land.

Kaden Metheny is one player who was important for the contest. He finished the game shooting 52.9% from the field and earned 1 assist. He played for 36 minutes played and pulled down 7 rebounds. He notched 26 points on 9 of 17 shooting.

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Liberty will enter this contest with a record of 19-5 on the year. They turn it over 10.0 times per contest and as a group they commit 12.9 fouls per game. As a unit, Liberty is pulling in 33.5 rebounds per contest and has racked up 404 assists for the season, which has them ranked 29th in Division 1 in terms of passing. The Flames are shooting 38.0% on shots from downtown (249 of 656) and 65.6% from the free throw line. They have an average of 77.0 points per contest (103rd in the nation) while going 49.1% from the floor.

On defense, the Flames are forcing 13.0 turnovers every game while drawing 13.8 personal fouls. They are surrendering 27.6% on shots from downtown and they are ranked 8th in Division 1 in PPG allowed (61.8). The Flames defensively are giving up a field goal percentage of 39.8% (551 of 1,383) and they concede 34.3 rebounds per game as a group. They currently rank 3rd in D-1 in allowing assists to the opposition with 213 relinquished so far this season.

When they last stepped on the hardwood, the New Mexico State Aggies walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 66-63 against UTEP. In relation to attacking the glass, New Mexico State allowed UTEP to collect 36 in all (9 offensive). They shot 23.8% from distance by going 5 out of 21 and ended up shooting 19 of 29 from the free throw line (65.5%). The Aggies permitted UTEP to convert 21 of their 52 attempts from the floor which had them at 40.4% for the contest. In all, the Aggies finished shooting 17 for 56 from the field which gave them a rate of 30.4%. In reference to shots from beyond the arc, New Mexico State made 7 of 30 attempts (23.3%). They were able to make 22 of the free throws for a rate of 71.0%. UTEP was called for 22 fouls for this contest which got the Aggies to the free throw line for 31 shots. They coughed it up 9 times, while getting 7 steals for the contest. The Aggies collected 24 defensive rebounds and 11 offensive rebounds totaling 35 for this game.

Emmanuel Tshimanga ended up being a major contributor for the Aggies in this game. He scored 13 points in his 22 mins on the court, but wasn't able to earn an assist. He buried 2 out of 2 for the game for a rate of 100.0%, and accounted for 6 rebounds.

New Mexico State has a record of 12-11 on the campaign. When it comes to executing on offense, the Aggies are shooting 42.2% from the field, which ranks 318th in the country. New Mexico State has accounted for 1,634 pts for the year (71.0 per contest) and they collect 37.4 rebounds per contest. They are earning an assist 12.3 times per game (283rd in Division 1) and they turn it over 11.9 times per game. The Aggies are committing 18.7 fouls every game and they hit 68.2% from the charity stripe.

The Aggies on defense are ranked 74th in college hoops in points given up per game with 68.2. They are forcing their opponents into 11.3 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 40.4% from the floor (39th in college). The New Mexico State defense allows 29.8% on 3-point shots (158 of 530) and opponents are knocking down 68.4% of their foul shots. They have given up 12.2 dimes and 34.4 rebounds on a nightly basis, which is 100th and 187th in D-1.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take New Mexico State

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