The ACC meets the Mountain West Conference when the Clemson Tigers and New Mexico Lobos collide in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Friday at the FedExForum in Memphis. The sixth-seeded Tigers (21-11) are making just their third appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2012. Meanwhile the Lobos (26-9) are on a roll after beating Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State last week in the MWC tournament to earn the automatic bid in the 68-team NCAA Tournament.
Tip-off is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET. The Lobos are favored by 2 points in the latest Clemson vs. New Mexico odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 151.5.
Before making any New Mexico vs. Clemson picks or NCAA Tournament predictions, you need to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model. (See up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page.)
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.
The model knows that Clemson has one of the best players in the ACC in center PJ Hall. A 6-foot-10 senior from Spartanburg, S.C., Hall ranks second in the conference in scoring (18.8 points per game) while also grabbing 6.7 rebounds per game. He is one of just four players in the country averaging at least 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 assists a game.
But the model also has taken into account that New Mexico is playing its best basketball of the season. Over four games in a dominant MWC Tournament run, the Lobos led for almost 146 minutes and trailed for just seven. The Lobos beat three straight opponents - Air Force, Boise State and Colorado State - each by double digits, the first time they had won three straight postseason games by double figures in program history.
For Friday, the model has set its sights on the 2024 NCAA Tournament and Clemson vs. New Mexico. We can tell you the model is leaning Over on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in 60% of simulations. You ABSOLUTELY need to see the model before locking in any college basketball picks.
Who wins New Mexico vs. Clemson? And which side of the spread covers 60% of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Clemson vs. New Mexico spread you should be all over Friday, all from the model on a 148-106 roll on college basketball picks!
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