On Sunday, March 23, 2025, the New Mexico Lobos will face the Michigan State Spartans at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, OH. New Mexico won as double-digit seed in the opening round of the tournament, while Michigan State held off a spirited effort from a lower-seeded opponent to get to this point. For those who like strong guard play, New Mexico vs Michigan State has plenty of talent to enjoy on both sides.
Before this game tips off, US sports betting sites have made Michigan State a 6.5-point favorite. Meanwhile, the over/under for this contest has been set at 147.5. Continue reading to get our thoughts on how this New Mexico vs Michigan State game will play out and where we think bettors should put their money.
New Mexico Looks to Dent Spartans’ Armor
The 10-seed New Mexico Lobos defeated the 7-seed Marquette Golden Eagles in the opening round of this year’s NCAA Tournament. New Mexico’s defense stood tall in a big way in that game, holding the Golden Eagles to 66 points. Here, the Lobos will look to put the clamps on Michigan State in a similar fashion to get to the Sweet 16 for the first time as a program since 1974.
Along with their defense, New Mexico will rely heavily on the play of guard Donovan Dent if they want to pull an upset in this game. Dent led New Mexico with 21 points against Marquette, including a 7-8 mark from the free throw line. How efficient Dent is in getting his points could determine just how serious an upset bid New Mexico can make here.
Michigan State Hopes to Finish Strong Again
New Mexico got off to a slow start against the 15-seed Bryant Bulldogs in Friday’s first-round action. But they blew the Bulldogs off the floor in the second half, winning comfortably in the end. Here, the Spartans will look for another dominant second-half performance, though they will need to be better in the opening 20 minutes of play in this game to avoid putting themselves in a hole.
Keeping Nelly Junior Joseph off of the glass will be essential to the success of Michigan State in this game. Junior Joseph has been a physical force for New Mexico throughout this season and he was a difference maker against Marquette. While Michigan State dominated the glass against Bryant, failure to do so against Junior Joseph and New Mexico could turn this game into a challenge.
New Mexico vs Michigan State Prediction
Michigan State -6.5 (-110) over New Mexico
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- Michigan State should be able to limit New Mexico on the glass in this game.
- New Mexico entered this tournament ranked barely inside the top-80 in offensive efficiency by Kenpom and they’ll struggle to keep up with MSU.
