Some MountainWest action will be front and center on Saturday afternoon as the New Mexico Lobos make the trip to Laramie to do battle with the Wyoming Cowboys. It is about that time to take a sneak peek at our College Football odds series where our New Mexico-Wyoming prediction and pick will be made.

Fresh off of a narrow 34-31 overtime victory over UMASS, the Lobos enter their conference opener with a 2-2 record. Through four games, New Mexico is averaging 384 total yards of offense and are limiting teams to only 395 yards an outing while on defense. Do the Lobos have enough firepower to start their Mountain West scheduled slate at 1-0?

Meanwhile, the Cowboys of Wyoming have has some impressive performances under their belts including a double overtime against Texas Tech and even holding their own late versus a top-ranked Texas Longhorns squad. Surely, these Cowboys are battle-tested and are eager to begin Mountain West play.

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: New Mexico-Wyoming Odds

New Mexico: +13.5 (+100)

Wyoming: -13.5 (-122)

Over: 40.5 (-110)

Under: 40.5 (-110)

How to Watch New Mexico vs. Wyoming Week 5

TV: Mountain West Network

Stream: CBS Sports App

Time: 4:00 ET/1:00 PT

*Watch college football LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why New Mexico Will Cover The Spread

The line sitting at +13.5 points is certainly an uphill climb to make, and the Lobos will need to play a complete game which has eluded them far too often if they are going to cover the spread. A week ago, New Mexico led by multiple touchdowns over UMASS at the end of the first quarter but went on to finish the contest rather stale as they let the Minute Men crawl back to force overtime. Although it was the Lobos that took care of business when it mattered most in the closing stages, Wyoming is a force to be reckoned with in comparison to past opponents New Mexico has faced off with.

All in all, the Lobos will need to find a way to slow down a ferocious Wyoming running game that has given opposing defenses fits over the course of the last several weeks. Believe it or not, but the Cowboys are quite one-dimensional with the ball in their possession and if New Mexico can force Wyoming to some third-and-longs, then they’ll be in good shape to cover the spread.

Most importantly, QB Dylan Hopkins has proven that he is a capable option under center and will need to make some plays with his legs as well to keep the Wyoming defense off-balanced. With over 800 yards through the air and six touchdowns to boot through four games, the Lobos’ chances of finding success will most likely fall on the arm of Hopkins on Saturday afternoon.

Why Wyoming Will Cover The Spread

With their eyes on a Mountain West title this fall, it is safe to say that the Cowboys are not to be messed with.  With a long season ahead of them, the resiliency that has already been showcased will do this team well in essential moments of the season.

If Wyoming is going to improve to 4-1 and earn their first MW win while also covering the spread as nearly two-touchdown favorites, then be on the lookout for Wyoming to dominate the time of possession with their ground game and also attack the Lobos with the play-action pass. There’s no denying that Wyoming loves to run the ball and with good success, but catching New Mexico’s linebackers creeping up to stop the rushing attack will open up the passing game over the top which could end up being critical.

Not to mention, the C0wboys are a tough team at home and possess a raucous crowd that often overwhelms many road opponents that set foot into Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. The one unit on this roster that could kickstart this fan base even more within the confines of their home stadium will come in the form of their special teams. A week ago, it was Wyoming that blocked a field goal for a touchdown that ultimately swung the tide in their favor. In conference games, sometimes the littlest of plays go a long way in determining the outcome and this special teams unit has proven they can perform under pressure.

Final New Mexico-Wyoming Prediction & Pick

Unquestionably, this game will mean a lot for both sides as each squad wants nothing more to start Mountain West play with a victory. On paper, Wyoming is the more talented and well-executed squad, and this will be the case when both teams strap on the pads and buckle up the chinstraps on Saturday afternoon.

Final New Mexico-Wyoming Prediction & Pick: Wyoming -13.5 (-122)

Ranchers, government officials and nonprofits met in Cody Sept. 25 to discuss compensation options in a potential Brucellosis outbreak. Livestock producers worry that transmission from wildlife to cattle could become more common in western Wyoming due to the prevalence of the disease among elk in the area — and an increase in cases could create challenging financial burdens for the state.

Brucellosis is a contagious, infectious disease that often spreads to cattle after they intermingle with animals like elk or bison. It makes cows spontaneously abort their calves and can cause infertility and other problems.

When an animal tests positive for Brucellosis, entire herds often have to go into testing and quarantine programs. That can be an expensive situation, according to Steve True, director of the Wyoming Livestock Board.

“It ties you up,” he said. “You may have unforeseen costs in feed, transportation and just your ability to market or your pasture.”

The State of Wyoming has a reimbursement program for outbreak situations like this, but the maximum a rancher could get is $25,000, which many at the meeting said isn’t enough money.

“We’re not going to make anybody well. If we can help them get through the hard times. That’s what that’s geared for,” True said.

The event was meant to start a conversation about alternative funding sources for compensation programs, especially from the private or nonprofit sector. One Montana fund can reimburse a single rancher more than $50,000.

Officials at the meeting said now is a good time to consider options before any wide-scale outbreak. A Wyoming Game and Fish representative said Brucellosis positivity rates in elk herds near Cody are at around 25 percent, meaning there are hundreds of potential instances of contamination and infection.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) – The Wyoming Stable Token Commission will hold a virtual meeting on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 1:30 pm. This special meeting of the commission is to approve the engagement of external counsel and a budget for the counsel’s work.

Remote access to the meeting will be available via Zoom through this link. The meeting is open to the public.

The Wyoming Stable Token Commission was established with passage of Senate Enrolled Act 85 – Wyoming Stable Token Act, which authorizes the Wyoming Stable Token Commission to issue Wyoming stable tokens. The Commission includes the Governor or the Governor’s designee; the Auditor or the Auditor’s designee; the Treasurer or the Treasurer’s designee and four additional subject matter experts: Flavia Naves, David Pope, Jeff Wallace and Joel Revill. Anthony Apollo was appointed Executive Director of the Commission on September 19, 2023.

A meeting agenda may be found on the Stable Token Commission web page.

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