New Mexico St. vs. Connecticut Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
There’s usually at least one 12 over 5 upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament every year and it’s quite possible that No. 12 New Mexico State knocks off No. 5 UConn on West Region action Thursday. The Huskies are -7 on the college basketball odds.
New Mexico St. Aggies vs. Connecticut Huskies NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
In 31 of the last 36 years, obviously not counting 2020 when the Big Dance was canceled, a No. 12 seed has won at least one first-round game over a No. 5. The only exceptions came in 1988, 2000, 2007, 2015 and 2018. Overall, the No. 5 seed leads 93-51. In 2021, the lone No. 12 to win was Oregon over Tennessee. In 2019, three No. 12s won – they have never won all four.
The winner of this West Region game from KeyBank Center in Buffalo faces either No. 4 Arkansas or No. 13 Vermont from the same location in the second round Saturday. UConn is +1592 to win the West Region and New Mexico State +7860.
UConn might have a small advantage here in that the Huskies’ coach is Dan Hurley. His brother Bobby is the head coach at Arizona State and the Sun Devils played New Mexico State in a preseason, closed-door scrimmage.
New Mexico St. Aggies (12)
New Mexico State (26-6) shared the WAC regular-season title and won the conference tournament over Abilene Christian. The Aggies are led by Nebraska transfer and WAC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year Teddy Allen (19.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg). He was first-team All-WAC, while teammates Johnny McCants (8.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Jabari Rice (12.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg) both earned spots on the second team, and McCants landed on the All-Defensive Team. It’s the 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance for New Mexico State and third under Coach Chris Jans’ tenure. The team was also a No. 12 seed in both 2018 and 2019 and lost in the first round. NMSU hasn’t won a tournament game since 1993. The Aggies are 5-2 ATS in their past seven games.
Connecticut Huskies (5)
UConn (23-9) can’t be upset playing in nearby Buffalo as in two of the school’s national championship seasons, 2004 and 2014, they also were sent to Buffalo’s KeyBank Center (called something else back then) for the first two rounds of the Big Dance. In four of the Huskies’ appearances in the Final Four – 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2011 – they also came out of the West Region.
It’s the 35th all-time NCAA appearance for UConn and second straight. Last year, it was a No. 7 seed and upset 63-54 by No. 10 Maryland. The Huskies, who finished third in the Big East regular-season standings and lost in the conference tournament semifinal to Villanova, are led by R.J. Cole (15.7 ppg), Adama Sanogo (14.9 ppg) and Tyrese Martin (13.7 ppg). Sanogo (8.9 rpg) and Martin (7.6 rpg) are the top rebounders and Cole leads in assists (4.1 apg). The Huskies are 1-4-1 ATS in their past six games.
NMSU
CONN