COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Liberty enters this game with the stronger season profile on both the spread and total side, covering 71.4% of the time and staying under in 71.4% of its games. The Flames have been much more efficient defensively, holding opponents to 14.0 points per game and 4.7 yards per play. New Mexico State has had more trouble on that side of the ball, giving up 25.4 points per game and 5.1 yards per play. The Aggies have been more competitive than their record suggests in spread results, but their scoring defense has been a problem, and that is the key reason this game projects below the market total.
Liberty should control this game from start to finish, but the better angle is the under because both the efficiency profile and season-long total trends point to a game that finishes below the market number. Liberty’s defense has been the stronger unit, and New Mexico State has struggled to keep opponents from scoring efficiently. A projected final of Liberty Flames 27, New Mexico State Aggies 17 fits that script and supports a lower-scoring outcome.