Richard Pitino’s New Mexico Lobos get their tournament started against Marquette on Friday.
The Lobos, who earned an at-large bid after topping the Mountain West in the regular season, are a four-point underdog against the Golden Eagles.
Is the betting market underrating the Lobos against Marquette on Friday night? Find out where we land on that question, plus check out an exclusive promo code from Caesars Sportsbook below.
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Marquette vs. New Mexico betting preview
New Mexico is one of the most unique teams in the country. The Lobos rank fourth in KenPom’s adjusted tempo metric, and only six teams averaged more total possessions per game than New Mexico this season.
The Lobos want to drag you into a back-and-forth battle, and hope that their transition offense is able to rule the day.
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That sounds all well and good, but the problem is that Marquette is well-equipped to handle this kind of attack.
Per CBB Analytics, Marquette ranks inside the top 10% of teams in transition defense, which puts the onus on New Mexico to have a Plan B on offense in case their quick-strike attack isn’t firing.
Marquette vs. New Mexico pick
There are a lot of teams that would really struggle in a matchup against New Mexico’s go-go offense, but Marquette does not belong in that bucket.
In fact, this matchup plays into the strengths of the Golden Eagles. They can handle the chaos that New Mexico introduces into games, which makes it an uphill battle for the younger Pitino on Friday.
The Pick: Marquette -4 (Caesars)
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Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.