The Big Ten goes against the WAC when Indiana plays New Mexico State Thursday night in the 4-13 game in the South.
The Hoosiers, who got an at-large bid after finishing fifth in the Big Ten, are favored by six points over the Aggies, who finished second in the WAC and then won the conference tournament.
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its past 5 first-round games over the years.
This matchup is a neutral-site affair being played at Rose Garden.
The Hoosiers bring a 25-8 record (17-9-1 ATS) to this tilt against the 26-9 Aggies, who are 16-12 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have witnessed Indiana go 14-12-1 so far and the Aggies go 15-13.
View New Mexico State vs Indiana Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had set the Hoosiers as 6.5-point favorites on the Sportsbook line for this contest at Sportsbook. The best early OVER line was at Sportsbook this week.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 40-ranked Hoosiers and the No. 31-rated Aggies in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 84-83 win for the Hoosiers on Thursday.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Indiana's No. 19 nationally ranked offense (77.3 points per game) against a Aggies defense that sits as the No. 207 at 68 PPG. The Hoosiers have been averaging 48.7% from the field, more than the Aggies have managed so far this season (47.2% on average).
Defensively, New Mexico State features the nation's No. 210-rated defense on the road, allowing 71.2 points per game. Indiana, meanwhile, comes in at No. 19 nationally in scoring at home.
New Mexico State won its last outing, an 82-57 result against Louisiana Tech on March 10. They covered in that game as an 8-point favorite. The battle between the Aggies and Bulldogs didn’t turn out to be much of a battle at all as Louisiana Tech was handed an 82-57 defeat on Saturday at Orleans Arena.
Indiana lost its last outing, a 79-71 result against Wisconsin on March 9. They failed to cover in that game as a 1-point favorite. The Hoosiers got 17 points from Christian Watford, but it was Wisconsin that prevailed in a 79-71 final on Friday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
New Mexico State Aggies Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
After playing Louisiana Tech are 5-5
After a win are 8-2
Indiana Hoosiers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
After playing Wisconsin are 3-7
After a loss are 5-5
A few Aggies at Hoosiers trends to consider:
Indiana is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
