At the onset of Week 6 is a Thursday Conference USA matchup between the New Mexico State Aggies and Sam Houston Bearkats. Sam Houston is struggling as it goes through a painful coaching transition in college football betting. Offensive wizard Phil Longo is in his first year at the helm and is discovering why his predecessor, KC Keeler, left for Temple. Meanwhile, New Mexico State is one of the least successful programs in college football history. Previously, Jerry Kill led them to bowl games in 2022 and 2023 before stepping down due to health concerns.
Sam Houston Bearkats at New Mexico State Aggies Betting Info
| Date and Time: | Thursday, October 2, 2025, 9 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Aggie Memorial Stadium, Las Cruces, NM |
| TV Coverage: | CBSSN |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston St | -2½ ( -110 ) | 53 ( -110 ) | -135 |  |
| New Mexico State | +2½ ( -110 ) | 53 ( -110 ) | +115 | |
| ||||
Sam Houston Bearkats Team Overview
Last game, the Sam Houston Bearkats lost 55-0 against the Texas Longhorns. The game went under the sportsbook total of 51.5. Overall, Sam Houston State ranks 133rd for total offense, 129th for scoring, but 29th for fewest turnovers committed. Sam Houston ranks 131st for total defense and 134th for points allowed. Sam Houston has a record of 0-4 straight up and against the spread and is 3-1 over the total.
Arch Manning passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more scores. Hence, Texas dismantled hapless Sam Houston. Manning hit on 18 of his 21 throws and connected with eight different receivers before heading to the bench early in the third quarter. Also, Ryan Wingo hauled in two of Manning’s TD passes and racked up 125 total yards (93 receiving and 32 on the ground).
Meanwhile, Quarterback Hunter Watson finished with 118 total yards (86 passing and 32 on the ground) in the loss for Sam Houston.
The Longhorns outgained Sam Houston 607-113 and amassed 10 tackles for a loss, including five sacks.
New Mexico State Aggies Team Overview
Last week, the New Mexico State Aggies lost 28-20 against the New Mexico Lobos as 15.5-point road dogs. The game went over the total of 51.5. As a result, New Mexico State has a record of 2-2 straight up, 1-3 against the spread, and 2-2 over the total. New Mexico State has national metrics of 126th for total offense, 120th for scoring offense, and 94th for fewest turnovers committed. In comparison, the Aggies rank 114th for total defense and 84th for fewest points allowed.
Namely, Logan Fife was 20-of-37 passing for 255 yards and a pick for the Aggies. Receiver Donovan Faupel had the lone TD throw, a 34-yarder to TJ Pride coming off a reverse. Also, he caught six passes of his own for 97 yards. Gavin Harris also had 97 yards receiving. Bernock Iya had a 42-yard scoop-and-score. The Lobos tied a single-game team record with nine sacks, led by Keyshawn James-Newby with 2 1/2.
Overall, this was the 115th game of the Rio Grande Rivalry. It was just the 16th time the two schools entered the rivalry game with winning records, and the first since 1992. New Mexico leads 75-35-5 in the series that began in 1894.
Sam Houston at New Mexico State Betting Trends
Late on, the Sam Houston Bearkats failed to cover the spread in seven of their most recent eight away games. Five of Sam Houston’s last eight away games went over the total.
On the other hand, New Mexico State got the cash in 13 of its most recent 19 home games. The Aggies went under the total in only two of their last seven games at home.
Previously in this series, each team has had a win and a cover. In each game, the home team won and got the money. Both games went under the total.
Sam Houston at New Mexico State SBG Free Picks
As mentioned earlier, this is a home team series. Also, Sam Houston struggles on the road while New Mexico State has been a good College Football Betting value at home.
Sam Houston at New Mexico State SBG Best Bet:
New Mexico State Aggies