The No. 12 seed New Mexico State Aggies (26-6) and No. 5 seed Connecticut Huskies (23-9) meet Thursday for a West Region first-round game of the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., is scheduled for 6:50 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the New Mexico State vs. Connecticut odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
The Aggies of NMSU lost a pair of 2-point games to Chicago State (61-59) and Stephen F. Austin (73-71) Feb. 26 and March 2, respectively, and it certainly didn’t look like this team was NCAA Tournament-worthy. However, the Aggies picked up wins over Grand Canyon (75-70) and Abilene Christian (66-52) to grab wins and covers en route to capturing the WAC Tournament title.
The Huskies of UConn picked up a 62-52 win over Seton Hall before exiting with a 63-60 loss to Villanova in the Big East semifinals. UConn is just 5-6 straight up (SU) in its last 11 games against teams in the NCAA Tournament, while going 2-5-1 against the spread (ATS) in the past eight against teams in the Field of 64.
See also: Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports
New Mexico State vs. Connecticut odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:55 a.m. ET.
- Money line: New Mexico State +230 (bet $100 to win $230) | Connecticut -300 (bet $300 to win $100)
- Against the spread: New Mexico State +6.5 (-108) | Connecticut -6.5 (-112)
- Over/Under (O/U): 131.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
[tipico]
New Mexico State vs. Connecticut odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
New Mexico State 66, Connecticut 64
Money line
NEW MEXICO STATE (+230) is worth playing for the traditional 12-5 upset we’ve seen so many times over the years in the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies are a solid defensive team which will give F Adama Sanogo, G R.J. Cole and company some major headaches in this tournament opener.
Against the spread
If you don’t trust NEW MEXICO STATE +6.5 (-108) straight up you can take them catching three buckets.
Connecticut enters this one with just two wins in its last four games overall and is 3-10-1 ATS across its last 14 games overall. The Aggies allowed just 63.2 PPG during the season, good for 32nd in the country. Look for a low-scoring cover by the lower seed.
Over/Under
The UNDER 131.5 (-108) is the lean, ever so slightly.
New Mexico State was strong defensively, while UConn yielded just 65.7 PPG. The Under is 25-9 in the past 34 games as an underdog for NMSU and has cashed in four in a row for UConn, too. This is going to be a defensive slog with both teams scoring in the 60s.
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]