The six-seed Clemson Tigers (21-11, 11-9 ACC) take on a red hot eleven seed New Mexico Lobos (26-9, 10-8) squad in the first round of the NCAA tournament this Friday at 3:10 PM Eastern. The Lobos are fresh off of a Mountain West Tournament victory, and Clemson is off a disappointing loss to Boston College (19-15, 8-12 ACC) in their conference Tournament.
Is this another classic eleven-over-six upset, or will Clemson get it together and stamp out the upstart Lobos?
Clemson Tigers vs. New Mexico Lobos Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | Money Line |
| New Mexico Lobos | -2
-110 |
O 151.5
-108 |
-135 |
| UAB Blazers | +2
-110 |
U 151.5
-112 |
+114 |
| **Odds Courtesy of DraftKings** | |||
Clemson Tigers vs. New Mexico Lobos Fixtures
- Fixture: Clemson Tigers vs New Mexico Lobos
- Date and Time: March 22, 2024 @ 3:10 pm EST
- Location: FedEx Forum; Memphis, TN
Apex Tale of the Tape
| Clemson Tigers | Vs. | New Mexico Lobos |
| 24-10 | Record | 26-9 |
| 77.4 | Points Per Game | 81.7 |
| 46.8 | FG% | 46.0 |
| 35.4 | 3PT% | 33.4 |
| 36.4 | Rebounds Per Game | 39.6 |
| 71.3 | Points Allowed Per Game | 70.5 |
| 41.8 | Defensive FG% | 42.2 |
| 34.0 | Defensive 3PT% | 30.4 |
| 79.0 | FT% | 70.9 |
| 24.0 | Defensive Rebounds Against | 25.5 |
| 2-3 | Last 5 W-L | 4-0 |
| 69.5 | Team Pace | 74.3 |
Key Stats
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers have had a tough month of March, limping into the ACC Tournament and then getting bounced by a weak BC side. They’ll need a huge game from their star, PJ Hall if they want to advance out of the first round. Hall is their leading scorer at 18.8 PPG, and also an animal on defense, leading the team in both blocks and steals per game. They’ll also need their sharpshooting guard Joseph Girard to continue his lights-out three-point stroke. Girard is a 42.5% three-point shooter on the season, good for a tie for twelfth in the nation. If he gets going, he can help lead the Clemson Tigers to victory.
New Mexico Lobos
The Lobos just need to stay hot, and for that to happen, they need Jaelen House to stay hot. House is the team’s leading scorer and led the team to a Mountain West Championship with a 29-point performance in the title game. He also was the leading scorer in the two previous games as well. They’ll also need JT Toppin to play well against Hall on the block. If Hall shuts him down, the Lobos could be in trouble.
Injury Report
Clemson Tigers
- Bas Leyete: Out for the season (shoulder)
- Alex Hemenway: Out for the season (leg)
New Mexico Lobos
- None
Game Prediction
Since 2005, an eleven seed has beaten a six seed in every single NCAA tournament. In the past eight years, eleven seeds are a whopping 18-14 against the six seeds, and an even better 17-11 in the past six years. 11 seeds have had recent runs to the Sweet Sixteen and even the historic Loyola Chicago Final Four run.
We see this as another one. New Mexico plays with a ferocious pace, leading the nation in two-point attempts per game, and sitting fifth in two-pointers made per game. Clemson may struggle to keep up, as they are not a particularly strong defensive side. New Mexico defends the three extremely well, which should help them prevent any chucking-related upset.
Final Pick
New Mexico -2 and Under 151.5
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Ryan Callahan is a writer from Long Island, New York. A graduate of Boston University, his college basketball rooting interests are not exactly thrilling, but hey, we can’t all go to Kansas.
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