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No. 5 seed Connecticut will be looking to book its spot in the second round of the NCAA Tournament when it faces No. 12 seed New Mexico St. on Thursday night. The Huskies finished in third place in the Big East this season before losing to Villanova in the semifinals of the conference tournament. New Mexico State swept the WAC Tournament and regular season titles.

Tipoff is set for 6:50 p.m. ET at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Huskies as 6.5-point favorites in the latest Connecticut vs. New Mexico State odds. The over-under for total points is set at 132. Before entering any New Mexico State vs. Connecticut picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $1,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Connecticut vs. New Mexico State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for UConn vs. New Mexico State:

  • Connecticut vs. New Mexico State spread: UConn -6.5
  • Connecticut vs. New Mexico State over-under: 132 points
  • Connecticut vs. New Mexico State money line: UConn -300, New Mexico State +240

What you need to know about Connecticut

New Mexico State will not be used to this level of competition, as it did not face a ranked opponent during the regular season. The Aggies have struggled with turnovers throughout the year, ranking No. 313 in turnover rate. They are facing an athletic Connecticut defense that ranks fifth nationally in 2-point percentage.

The Huskies are going to give New Mexico State some problems on the boards, as they lead the country in offensive rebounding percentage. They have a balanced lineup that features three players scoring at least 13 points per game. Connecticut tends to excel in the NCAA Tournament, covering the spread in 16 of its last 21 games. 

What you need to know about New Mexico State

New Mexico State had a disappointing conclusion to the regular season, losing two of its final three games. The Aggies bounced back when it mattered, though, beating Grand Canyon and Abilene Christian en route to a WAC Tournament Championship. They took an 11-10 lead less than six minutes into Saturday's game against Abilene Christian and never trailed again. 

The Aggies also picked up wins over Davidson and Washington State in non-conference play. They are led by junior guard Teddy Allen, who averages 19.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. New Mexico State has covered the spread in four straight games as an underdog. 

How to make New Mexico State vs. Connecticut picks

The model is leaning over on the total, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 70 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins New Mexico State vs. UConn? And which side covers over 70 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks.