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New Mexico vs Minnesota Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today — Rate Bowl

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3 weeks ago

December 26, 2025

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New Mexico vs Minnesota Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today — Rate Bowl

Yonke’s prediction: Eck gets the better of Fleck in the Rate Bowl.

Dec 26, 2025 • 13:41 ET

• 4 min read

Photo By – Imagn Images. New Mexico Lobos Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAAF

Bowl season ramps up in a big way Friday with a three-game slate, highlighted by a compelling Power Conference vs. Group of 5 clash in the Rate Bowl between the New Mexico Lobos and Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Jason Eck has emerged as a popular name on the coaching carousel for good reason, and he’ll look to notch his 10th win in his first season with the Lobos against a very beatable Big Ten opponent.

See why my New Mexico vs. Minnesota predictions and college football picks for the Rate Bowl on Friday, December 26 are backing the Lobos.

New Mexico vs Minnesota predictions for the Rate Bowl

Who will win the Rate Bowl?

New Mexico will pull off the upset.

The Lobos have the better metrics overall and seem to have made a home run hire with Jason Eck. Finding a 10th win would be a massive victory for this program, and the momentum is heading in the right direction for a team that won six games and probably should’ve featured in the Mountain West championship game if we lived in a just society.

New Mexico vs Minnesota best bet: New Mexico +2.5 (-110)

Much has been made about the fact that the Minnesota Golden Gophers are 6-0 in bowl games under PJ Fleck. That’s all well and good — and it is of importance whether or not a coach has a reason to motivate his team in the wild era of current bowl games — but it’s not the only handicapping factor.

What stands out most to me is that Minnesota wasn’t a very good football team in 2025.

They had a young quarterback, injured running backs, uninspiring wide receivers, a terrible offensive line, and a bad defense that allowed far too many crippling big plays. Even though they finished 7-5, the Gophers ranked outside the Top 90 in EPA per play on both sides of the ball and needed great fortune to go bowling.

The Gophers were also dreadful away from Minneapolis, losing all five games by an average margin of 24.4 points. They weren’t even competitive.

The New Mexico Lobos finished the season with six consecutive wins, building significant momentum in Year 1 of the Jason Eck era. He’s truly revitalized this program, and they’d love nothing better than to put an exclamation point on the season by toppling a very beatable Power Conference opponent.

Now that is motivation.

The Lobos have better metrics on both sides of the ball and are stout in the trenches (12th in stuff rate offensively, 19th defensively) — a necessary component when stepping up in competition. Give me the underdog.

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New Mexico vs Minnesota same-game parlay

Minnesota’s defense has been bad enough that New Mexico should have very realistic expectations of finding the end zone several times.

If the Lobos fail in that mission, it’d be a massive disappointment against a Gophers defense that ranks 116th in success rate and 106th in PFF’s overall defensive grade.

On the other side of things, New Mexico is solid defensively, but not elite. The expectation is for Minnesota to feature star running back Darius Taylor in this matchup, and start Drake Lindsey will hope to build confidence heading into next season.

The Gophers cashed the Over in every game away from home this season, so here’s betting on another.

New Mexico vs Minnesota SGP

New Mexico +1.5
Over 43.5

New Mexico vs Minnesota game predictions

New Mexico vs Minnesota spread prediction

The Lobos will cover this spread, making it five times in their last six games that they’ve done so. Eck’s squad was an underdog in six games this season and covered the spread in four of those contests. Count them out at your own peril.

New Mexico vs Minnesota Over/Under prediction

This game will sneak over the total due to Minnesota’s overrated defense that frankly hasn’t done much of anything well this season. The Gophers have allowed at least 38 points in four of their five games away from Minneapolis, so you can’t trust them in the bowl game.

New Mexico vs Minnesota odds

Spread: New Mexico +1.5 (-110) | Minnesota -1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: New Mexico +110 | Minnesota -130
Over/Under: Over 43.5 (-110) | Under 43.5 (-110)

New Mexico vs Minnesota trend to know

Minnesota is 0-5 ATS away from home. Find more college football betting trends for New Mexico vs Minnesota.

How to watch New Mexico vs Minnesota

Location	Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Date	Friday, December 26, 2025
Kickoff	4:30 p.m. ET
TV	ESPN

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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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January 14, 2026

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Actor Timothy Busfield turns himself in following child sex abuse allegations in New Mexico

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23 hours ago

January 13, 2026

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Actor Timothy Busfield turns himself in following child sex abuse allegations in New Mexico

Timothy Busfield turned himself into police on Tuesday after authorities in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant for the director and Emmy Award-winning actor accused of child sex abuse.

A spokesperson for the Albuquerque Police Department confirmed to CBS News that Busfield had surrendered. He was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Bernalillo County on a child sex abuse charge. The arrest warrant, which was signed by a judge, said the charge was for two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor.

An investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department on Friday filed a criminal complaint which alleged a child reported that Busfield touched him inappropriately. The acts allegedly occurred on the set of “The Cleaning Lady,” a TV series that Busfield directed and acted in.

In a video provided to TMZ, Busfield said the allegations “are all lies.”

“I did not do anything to those little boys,” the 68-year-old actor said in the video appearing to show him in Albuquerque. He said he arrived in the city after driving 2,000 miles. Busfield’s attorney did not immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

Actor Timothy Busfield after being booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Jan. 13, 2026.

Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center

The criminal complaint filed by an investigator with Albuquerque police says the boy reported that he was 7 years old when Busfield touched him three or four times on private areas over his clothing. Busfield allegedly touched him five or six times on another occasion when he was 8, the complaint said.

The child was reportedly afraid to tell anyone because Busfield was the director and he feared he would get mad at him, the complaint said.

The boy’s twin brother told authorities he was touched by Busfield but did not specify where. He said he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to get in trouble.

When interviewed by authorities, Busfield suggested that the boys’ mother was seeking revenge for her children being replaced on the series. He also said he likely would have picked up and tickled the boys, saying the set was a playful environment.

The mother of the twins — who are identified only by their initials in court records — reported to Child Protective Services that the abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the complaint said.

“The Cleaning Lady” aired for four seasons on Fox, ending in 2025. It was produced by Warner Bros., which according to the complaint conducted its own investigation into the abuse allegations but was unable to corroborate them.

Busfield is known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething,” the latter of which won him an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series in 1991. He is married to actor Melissa Gilbert, who deactivated her Instagram account amid the allegations.

Gilbert indicated through a publicist that she won’t speak publicly at the request of attorneys for Busfield while the legal process unfolds.

“Her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family,” publicist Ame Van Iden said in a statement. “Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time.”

The investigation began in November 2024, when the investigator responded to a call from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. The boys’ parents had gone there at the recommendation of a law firm, the complaint said.

According to the complaint, one of the boys has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. A social worker documented him saying he has had nightmares about Busfield touching him.