The New Mexico Lobos will face off with the Marquette Golden Eagles in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 21, 2025. Both of these teams secured at-large bids, with New Mexico getting the 10-seed and Marquette getting the 7-seed in the South Region. Both of these teams have star-caliber guards, which should make this an exciting matchup no matter which way it goes.
Leading up to this game, online sportsbooks have made Marquette a 3.5-point favorite. They have set the total at 151.5 as a high-scoring matchup is expected between these opponents. Continue reading to get our breakdown of New Mexico vs Marquette, along with our prediction for the game in the betting markets.
New Mexico Looks to Win As Double-Digit Seed
New Mexico snagged an at-large bid out of the Mountain West Conference for this year’s NCAA Tournament. The Lobos were unable to repeat as MWC tournament champions, losing to eventual runners-up Boise State. But there is still a lot to like about the Lobos as they look to advance to the second round of the tournament with a win in this game.
New Mexico is very explosive offensively, averaging 81.2 points per game. They are led by an excellent guard, Donovan Dent, who is tied for seventh in the nation in scoring at 20.6 points per game. After getting blown out in the first round of last year’s tournament by Clemson, the Lobos will have a chip on their shoulder as they look to advance under head coach Richard Pitino.
Can Marquette Regroup After Disappointing Big East Tourney?
The Marquette Golden Eagles enter the NCAA Tournament off of a blowout loss in the semifinals of the Big East tournament. Marquette was crushed by St. John’s in the Big East tourney, losing 79-63 in that matchup. Marquette received an at-large bid into March Madness and will look to get back on the right track with a first-round victory here.
Going into the tournament, Marquette’s opponents know that Kam Jones is the top option for the offense of the Golden Eagles. Jones leads his team in points (19.3 ppg) and assists (5.9 apg) this season. But it will be up to the players around Jones to step up and help him in this game if Marquette is going to advance to the next round of the tournament.
New Mexico vs Marquette Prediction
Marquette -3.5 (-110) over New Mexico
220K Gold Coins & 10 FREE Sweeps Coins
Claim Bonus - New Mexico’s offense ranks 79th in offensive efficiency per Kenpom, compared to Marquette’s 32nd ranking in that department.
- We saw New Mexico struggle against a power conference team in the first round last year and expect the same here.
