With Jacksonville State at 3-0 in Conference USA play, and Liberty, Middle Tennessee, and Western Kentucky all with two wins, there’s no room for New Mexico State or Sam Houston to lose on a Wednesday night when they get all of football to themselves.
Sam Houston has yet to beat an FBS team this year, with an offense that suffered a power outage over the last three games.
New Mexico State beat the Western Kentucky team 34-13 that took down the Bearkats last week, but that’s been about it for the fun.
Offense has been a problem for both teams, but between the two, this should be a close, tight game.
New Mexico State vs Sam Houston: Quick Hits
- Sam Houston goes on the road over the next two weeks to Missouri State and Jacksonville State.
- New Mexico State gets three of its next four games at home, starting with Jacksonville State and Liberty, and after going to Missouri State, finishing the run with Delaware.
- New Mexico State is 2-1 in the series since both joined Conference USA, winning last year 37-10.
How To Watch New Mexico State vs Sam Houston
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Game Time: 8:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN2
Location: Elliott T. Bowers Stadium, Huntsville, TX
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Why New Mexico State Will Win
For all of the problems on the offensive side, it’s able to move a little bit. The defense has the one thing that royally screws up the Sam Houston offense – a pass rush.
The Bearkats don’t run the ball a lick, and the line is among the worst in the nation in pass protection and tackles for loss allowed.
Why Sam Houston Will Win
Sam Houston might not do much to keep things moving, but it’ll seem like the offense always has the ball.
New Mexico State goes fast, but it goes fast, and then the offense gets off the field in a hurry. Sam Houston’s defense is good on third downs and, until the last two weeks, was terrific at forcing mistakes.
New Mexico State vs Sam Houston Prediction, Betting Lines
Can Sam Houston generate the four takeaways it came up with against Texas Tech, or the three against Nicholls State?
New Mexico State is a turnover machine, especially on the road, giving it away seven times in the three road losses.
Points will be hard to come by in a low scoring battle, but in crunch time, the Aggies will get the late score needed to get out alive.
New Mexico State 24, Sam Houston 21
Latest Consensus Line: New Mexico State -2.5, o/u: 45.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 1.5
Must See Rating (out of 5): 2
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.