The New Mexico Lobos will look to stay hot when they square off against the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Friday at the FedExForum in Memphis. The Lobos (26-9) enter the tournament having won four games in four days in the Mountain West Conference Tournament to earn the MWC's automatic bid. Over those four games, they led for almost 146 minutes out of 160 and trailed for just seven. They also beat three straight opponents -- Air Force, Boise State and Colorado State -- each by double digits. New Mexico will face a Clemson team that tied for fifth in the ACC.
Tipoff is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET. The Lobos are favored by 2 points in the latest Clemson vs. New Mexico odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 151.5. Before making any New Mexico vs. Clemson picks, you need to check out the college basketball analysis and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Clemson vs. New Mexico and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for New Mexico vs. Clemson:
- Clemson vs. New Mexico spread: Lobos -2
- Clemson vs. New Mexico over/under: 151.5 points
- Clemson vs. New Mexico money line: New Mexico -137, Clemson +114
- CLEM: Joseph Girard III leads the country in free throw percentage (95.6)
- N MEX: Jaelen House ranks 12th in the nation in steals per game (2.33)
- Clemson vs. New Mexico picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Clemson can cover
Clemson has a prolific 3-point shooter in Joseph Girard III. A fifth-year guard who transferred from Syracuse in the offseason, Girard ranks third all-time in ACC history in career 3-pointers made (393) and is shooting a deadly 42.5% from beyond the arc this season. He earned honorable mention all-ACC honors earlier this month.
Girard and the Tigers will face a New Mexico team that is not a threat beyond the 3-point arc. The Lobos make just 6.6 3-pointers per game, which ranks 255th in the country. They also shoot just 33.4% from beyond the arc, which is 214th. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why New Mexico can cover
New Mexico has one of the best three-guard lineups in the country in Jaelen House, Jamal Mashburn and Donovan Dent. The three combine to average 44.8 points and 8.3 assists per game while shooting 80.1% from the free throw line this season. House has been particularly hot, averaging 23.0 points and shooting 92.0% over the last four games.
House and the Lobos will face a Clemson team that has struggled recently. The Tigers have lost three of their last four games, with all three losses coming to teams that did not make the NCAA Tournament: Notre Dame, Wake Forest and Boston College. Clemson has allowed 75.3 points over that stretch. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Clemson vs. New Mexico picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 152 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits 60% of the time. You can see the picks only at SportsLine.
So who wins New Mexico vs. Clemson, and which side of the spread hits 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Clemson vs. New Mexico spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 148-106 roll on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
