New Mexico State vs. Florida International Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 10

Reed Wallach | 2 Hours Ago

Seth McGowan breaks into the open field for a large gain as the Aggies took on Liberty University on Saturday night. / Jaime Guzman/Special to the Sun-News / USA TODAY NETWORK

New Mexico State and Florida International in Conference USA action on Tuesday. 

The Aggies are off a BYE week, last time out stunning Louisiana Tech on the road in overtime. Against an FIU team that is in quarterback limbo with an ineffective Keyone Jenkins pulled last game, can New Mexico State continue its upward ascent late in the season? 

Here’s our full betting preview for this C-USA showdown on Tuesday night. 

New Mexico State vs. Florida International Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• New Mexico State: +9.5 (-108)
• Florida International: -9.5 (-114)

Moneyline

• New Mexico State: +250
• Florida International: -325

Total: 45.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

New Mexico State vs. Florida International How to Watch

• Date: Tuesday, October 29
• Game Time: 7:00 PM EST
• Venue: Pitbull Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): CBS Sports Network
• New Mexico State Record: 2-5
• Florida International Record: 2-6

New Mexico State vs. Florida International Key Players to Watch

New Mexico State

Seth McGowan: The Aggies run the ball at a national average effectiveness, 64th in EPA/Rush, and McGowan is a big reason why. He is averaging more than five yards per carry while rushing the ball 10 or more times in each game. He has topped 50 yards in four straight, can he help pace the NMSU offense to a win? 

Florida International

Keyone Jenkins: Jenkins suffered a shoulder injury two weeks ago against UTEP, and it clearly limited him against Sam Houston State. The sophomore completed one of his nine pass attempts for 16 yards before getting pulled for Chayden Perry in the team’s 10-7 loss. We will await word if Jenkins or Perry draw the start for the Panthers, but it's a fluid situation. 

New Mexico State vs. Florida International Prediction and Pick

It’s tough to trust this FIU team to get margin on any team in Conference USA this season. 

While the Panthers grade out as the far superior team, the group struggles to stop opponents on the ground, ranking 101st in EPA/Rush this season. Against a New Mexico State offense that runs the ball on more than 55% of its plays, this can be an advantageous set up for the road underdog. 

Meanwhile, the Panthers offense is out of sorts at the moment, with Jenkins banged up and the team going to a run-only approach when Perry stepped in for a majority of last week’s game. While New Mexico State is a poor defense, 120th in EPA/Rush, a one-dimensional offense gives the team a leg up preparing for its opponent. 

FIU hasn’t covered in either game as a favorite, losing outright in both instances to UTEP and FCS foe Monmouth. I can’t trust the Panthers to get the necessary margin to win this game by more than a touchdown. 

PICK: New Mexico State +9.5

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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