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Joseph Girard III #11 of the Clemson Tigers shoots the ball in the first half against Jaeden Zackery #3 of the Boston College Eagles as we make our New Mexico vs. Clemson March Madness prediction.
Joseph Girard III #11 of the Clemson Tigers shoots the ball in the first half against Jaeden Zackery #3 of the Boston College Eagles in the Second Round of the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena. Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images/AFP

Despite being the lower seed, the New Mexico Lobos are the favorites against the No. 6 Clemson Tigers in their first-round NCAA Tournament clash as we make our New Mexico vs. Clemson prediction based on the top March Madness odds.

The Clemson Tigers enter the tournament on shaky ground after losing three of their last four games, including a decisive defeat to the Boston College Eagles. Despite their recent struggles, PJ Hall and Joseph Girard III provide offensive firepower, averaging over 15 points per game each, offering hope for Clemson to turn their fortunes around in the tournament.

The New Mexico State Lobos won the Mountain West Conference Tournament, winning four games in four days. Their 17th-ranked scoring offense is led by four players who average over 12 points per contest.

As part of our March Madness predictions, here's our best New Mexico vs. Clemson prediction and college basketball picks (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

New Mexico vs. Clemson odds

New Mexico (No. 11) vs. Clemson (No. 6) prediction: West Region 

Jaelen House Over 17.5 points  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +120 via DraftKings

The Tigers enter this game allowing at least 69 points in their last four games. Only one of their last four opponents ranks among the top 100 in points per game, providing a discernible advantage to the Lobos’ offense.

Though the Lobos have four players who can go off on any given night, Jaelen House is the best pick. The Lobos’ leading scorer is averaging 16.1 points per game, and though he’s averaging just 1.9 made 3-pointers per contest, he should increase his average against a defense ranked 190th in 3-point shooting percentage.

House scored 19 or more in three consecutive games, dropping 28 on the San Diego State Aztecs in the Mount West final. The Aztecs rank 41st in the nation in points allowed per game, while the Tigers are 138th. House will go for 20 on Friday, as he leads the Lobos to the Round of 32.

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New Mexico vs. Clemson best odds

DraftKings (+120)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsbet365
Over 17.5Over 16.5Over 17.5N/AOver 17.5
+120-108+100 N/A-105

If you want to take the lowest number, FanDuel offers a fair price for House to go Over 16.5. However, House should score 20 in this game, as nothing about the Tigers’ defense suggests they can shut him down.

With that being said, bet365’s price of -105 is not even worth a look, especially when you can get almost the identical price at FanDuel for one point less. Therefore, DraftKings, offering +120, offers the highest price of our best sports betting sites.

The +120 offered at DraftKings implies a 45.45% probability. A winning $10 wager will pay out $22, $12 of which is profit. 

New Mexico vs. Clemson spread & Over/Under analysis

The Lobos opened as 1.5-point favorites, and the spread quickly jumped to 2 or 2.5 at our best sports betting apps, with 68% of wagers backing the Lobos to cover. That should continue to increase before tip-off, but don’t expect it to go any higher than 3.5.

The total opened at 150.5, which has either remained constant or increased to 151.5, capping off at 152, at each of the five best sports betting sites. The 151.5 total feels like a perfect line for this game, especially since the Tigers have been known to go very cold from the floor against weak defenses. There is likely to be little movement ahead of the game.

New Mexico vs. Clemson game info

  • When: Friday, March 22
  • Tip-off: 3:10 p.m. ET
  • Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tenn.
  • How to watch: truTV

New Mexico vs. Clemson prediction made Tuesday at 11:58 a.m. ET.

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