In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, there are for sure going to be fireworks in the Marquette vs New Mexico matchup. The Golden Eagles got off to a hot start this season, but fell off in the latter part of the season, earning an at-large bid from the Big East. New Mexico earned an at-large bid and is looking for revenge in this Marquette vs New Mexico matchup after bowing out of the Mountain West as the 1-Seed.
Below, we will preview this March Madness college basketball game, giving the Marquette vs New Mexico overview, trends and our expert pick! Which school will win and keep their hopes of winning the championship trophy alive?
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Marquette vs New Mexico Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks
2025 NCAA Tournament
No. 7 Marquette Golden Eagles (23-10) vs. No. 10 New Mexico Lobos (26-7)
Date: Friday, March 21, 2025
Time: 7:25 PM EST
Venue: Rocket Arena — Cleveland, OH
Coverage: TBS
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Marquette vs New Mexico March Madness Odds
All college basketball betting odds for Marquette vs New Mexico can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: MARQ: (-175) | NM: (+150)
Point Spread: MARQ: -4 (-105) | NM: +4 (-115)
Total: 152.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
KenPom Rankings | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
| Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
| Marquette | 26 | 117.8 (31) | 95.9 (22) | 67.7 (154) |
| New Mexico | 42 | 112.3 (84) | 95.5 (19) | 72.8 (4) |
Marquette vs New Mexico College Basketball Trends
- Marquette is 2-3 in its last five games.
- New Mexico is 4-1 in its last five games.
- Marquette is 9-2 in non-conference play this season.
- New Mexico is 8-3 in non-conference play this season.
- Marquette is 3-3 in NCAA Tournament games since 2020.
- New Mexico is 0-1 in NCAA Tournament games since 2020.
Marquette vs New Mexico Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks
As I stated in the intro, this could be a really fun game to watch if you like guard play. Marquette and New Mexico are two of the most chaotic teams in the country, and I mean that in a good way. The Marquette vs New Mexico matchup to watch in this one is Marquette’s Kam Jones against New Mexico’s Donovan Dent.
The Golden Eagles are led by Jones, who scores 19.3 points per game (PPG), while shooting 48.4% from the field and 31.2% from behind the three-point line. Outside of Jones, the Golden Eagles have three other players who score in double figures, including David Joplin (13.8 PPG). The offense has not been the greatest for Marquette this season, but they were able to win games due to their hectic defense. The Golden Eagles run a matchup-type zone which causes a ton of deflections and off-base passes. If we know anything about Shaka Smart, it’s that he will have his team energized and ready to play.
Donovan Dent is a superstar in the college game for the Lobos. He averages 20.6 PPG on 49.7% from the field and 41.5% from behind the three-point line. Outside of Dent, the Lobos feature three other players who score in double figures, including Nelly Junior Joseph, who works the inside. He scores 14 PPG and brings in 11.2 rebounds per game. The Lobos want to run and get as many possessions as possible. They will look to push fast breaks the entire game off of Marquette’s misses.
This is a game that goes a couple of ways. With New Mexico wanting to push the pace, I can see Marquette’s frenetic defense becoming an issue if the Lobos get a little too sloppy. This feels like the outcome of the game and it, of course, will come down to Jones, who we know can dominate if he gets to the left. The Mountain West has struggled in the tournament in recent years and I think that continues, even though New Mexico may give the conference the best shot to move on.
For our Marquette vs New Mexico prediction, we are picking the Marquette Golden Eagles to win and move on in the NCAA Tournament.
