New Mexico vs UCLA prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball

It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a New Mexico-UCLA prediction and pick. Find out how to watch New Mexico-UCLA.

This game is a neutral-site game in Henderson, Nevada. That is the first thing to note from a betting standpoint. Given that odds generally reflect who is better — and by how much — in home, road, and neutral settings, we can arrive at the conclusion that the odds represent the truest assessment of the gap between these teams. If this game was on New Mexico's home floor, you would see the line move close to three points in the Lobos' direction. If the game was at Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus, you would see the lines move three points to the Bruins. These lines posted below represent, one can fairly conclude, a middle-ground evaluation of these teams and how they stack up against each other.

New Mexico made the 2024 NCAA Tournament after missing the Big Dance in 2023. It was a good and important season for coach Richard Pitino, who was able to produce just enough season-long consistency to get the Lobos into the field of 68. New Mexico's defense collapsed when the Lobos missed the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Pitino was able to reduce the extent of defensive erosion last season, preventing a complete freefall and doing enough work in Mountain West play to get over the finish line and enjoy a happy moment on Selection Sunday, when New Mexico got its ticket to the tourney. Now New Mexico will try to make even more gains as a defensive team and show it can build on what last season's team established. New Mexico will need to be a strong defensive team if it is going to survive the Mountain West and play meaningful games in March.

This game against UCLA should give us a strong sense of where the Lobos are vulnerable, and how well they can guard against their weaknesses and limitations. UCLA, which had a terrible 2023-2024 season, has revamped its lineup under coach Mick Cronin and is expected to be an NCAA Tournament team. UCLA comfortably won its opening game earlier this week against Rider and has every expectation of winning this game versus New Mexico. This is a tasty late-night Friday game between two schools which take their basketball very seriously.

Here are the New Mexico-UCLA College Basketball Odds , courtesy of FanDuel

College Basketball Odds: New Mexico-UCLA Odds

New Mexico: +6.5 (-120)

Moneyline: +205

UCLA: -6.5 (-102)

Moneyline: -255

Over: 150.5 (-115)

Under: 150.5 (-105)

How to Watch New Mexico vs UCLA

Time: 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT

TV: CBS Sports Network

Stream: fuboTV ( Free Trial )

Why New Mexico Will Cover The Spread/Win

The UCLA Bruins won their opener quite easily, but that was against Rider, a team which is not expected to be especially good this season. New Mexico will test UCLA a lot more severely, and given that UNM is getting 6.5 points, the Lobos just have to create a close game to cover. They don't have to win outright. New Mexico has been a good November-December team the past few seasons. This program has performed well in nonconference play. That is something to keep in mind when you view this game through a betting-focused lens.

Why UCLA Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Bruins have improved their roster from last season and looked solid in their opener. They should be able to play even better in their second game and make the forward strides which will translate into a convincing 10-point win and a covered spread.

Final New Mexico-UCLA Prediction & Pick

Sit back and look at these two teams. It feels like a game with more unknowns than certainties. Stay away from this game, but maybe consider a live play based on what you see after the first 15 to 20 minutes.