Central Michigan Chippewas (0-0) vs. New Mexico Lobos (0-0)
September 5, 2026 10:00 pm EDT
The Line: New Mexico Lobos -10.5; Over/Under: 46.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Central Michigan Chippewas and the New Mexico Lobos meet Saturday in college football action from University Stadium in Albuquerque. Here’s a New Mexico vs Central Michigan prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best New Mexico vs Central Michigan pick.
Central Michigan Chippewas Betting Preview
Central Michigan was able to exceed expectations a bit last year, but their campaign ended on a sour note. The Chippewas managed a winning record at 7-6 overall with a 5-3 run in Mid-American Conference matchups. That result would leave the team behind Western Michigan, Miami-OH, Ohio and Toledo for a fifth-place finish, several spots ahead of their projected spot (ninth) in the preseason MAC Coaches’ Poll. CMU lost their GameAbove Sports Bowl berth versus Northwestern in blowout fashion, though.
Moving on to the 2026 season, the Chippewas will begin year two under head coach Matt Drinkall. They’ve been selected to finish fifth in the MAC poll this time, so we’ll see if the team can meet expectations. Angel Flores should be a useful name after 527 rushing yards and eight touchdowns last season, and RB Brock Townsend is back in the fold for the Chippewas.
New Mexico Lobos Betting Preview
Over on the Lobos’ side, they had a pretty solid run in 2025 themselves. New Mexico’s season also finished on a bowl loss, though. The Lobos went 9-4 overall with a 6-2 record in the Mountain West but that was only good enough for a fourth-place finish behind Boise State, UNLV and San Diego State. In the Rate Bowl, New Mexico faced off against Minnesota and eventually lost a heartbreaker in overtime 20-17.
New Mexico retains head coach Jason Eck for his second season. He’ll be looking to prove 2025 was no fluke with another big run (and hopefully a bowl win this time). The quarterback room is chock full of talent, while running backs Scottre Humphrey, Cameron Matthews and Kiefer Sibley should offer some big-play opportunities. Shawn Miller and Zhaiel Smith are back on the team, joined by UNLV transfer Trey Omeire.
Why the New Mexico Lobos will win
- Central Michigan has lost 18 of its last 19 road games in September.
- New Mexico has won each of its last seven home games.
- The favorite has covered the spread in each of Central Michigan’s last four games.
- Central Michigan has failed to cover the spread in three of its last four games against opponents from the Mountain West Conference.
- New Mexico has won the first quarter in six of its last seven games.
- Central Michigan has lost the first half in each of its last 19 road games in September.
Why the Central Michigan Chippewas will win
- Central Michigan has won four of its last five September games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- New Mexico has lost each of its last three season openers.
- Central Michigan has covered the spread in seven of its last eight season openers.
- New Mexico has failed to cover the spread in nine of its last 12 September games as a home favorite.
- Central Michigan has won the first half in six of its last seven games.
- Central Michigan has won the first quarter in three of its last four September games against non-AP-ranked teams.
Total Points Facts
- Each of New Mexico’s last four games have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Five of Central Michigan’s last six road games in September have gone OVER the total points line.
New Mexico Lobos Player Prop Facts
- Brett Karhu ranked T3rd in the Mountain West Conference for sacks (7.5) last season.
Central Michigan Chippewas Player Prop Facts
- Brock Townsend was one of only 21 players in the FBS to record 3+ rushing and 3+ receiving TDs last season.
Matchup/League Facts
- New Mexico recorded the equal-most home wins by a margin of 10 points or less of any FBS team last season (4).
- New Mexico ranked 123rd among FBS teams for Q3 points per game last season (3.3).
- Central Michigan ranked 7th among FBS teams for 4th down conversion percentage against last season (35.7).
- Central Michigan ranked T11th among FBS teams for red zone percentage against last season (72.7).
New Mexico vs Central Michigan Prediction
I’ll stick with New Mexico. There are tons of expectations on the Lobos this year, but another bowl berth seems pretty reasonable if you look at the talent on the roster. New Mexico retains four starters on the offensive line and a good group of skill players so there’s no reason why the team would fail to score consistently. On defense, the Lobos ranked No. 1 in the Mountain West last year (112.8 yards per game). Doing that again would be a great help to their cause.
As for Central Michigan, they’ve got some reasons to be optimistic as well. The team has plenty of depth and experience up front, and several key playmakers. The bad news is that the defense brings back only three regular starters, lead tackler Jaion Jackson among them. Still, if the portal was ultimately kind to CMU, they’ll do some damage in the conference this year.
