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Both teams were fantastic for the first few months and struggled a bit with the finishing kick.
New Mexico was fine. It lost three of its last seven games, and it hasn’t come up with a strong win since walloping Colorado State back in early February.
Marquette was rolling, and then came February. The Golden Eagles lost seven of their last 12 games with too many power outages.
The winner of this gets the honor of dealing with Michigan State - or, if the world collapses, Bryant - in the next round.
Marquette vs New Mexico Game Preview
Marquette vs New Mexico How To Watch
Date: Friday, March 21
Venue: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
Time: 7:25 pm ET
TV: TBS
Teams: (10) New Mexico (26-7), (7) Marquette (23-10)
Region: South
NCAA Tournament Schedule, Predictions, Previews
Why New Mexico Will Win
Marquette is really, really struggling the boards.
This is a high-powered New Mexico team that doesn’t turn the ball over and is great at forcing mistakes and turning them into points. It doesn’t take enough threes, but it makes them when it does - it’s selective about it; it doesn’t just bomb away.
The Lobos have way more of a scoring pop when needed, and they’ll get to the free throw line close to five more times. But …
Why Marquette Will Win
Here come the Marquette threes.
The offense has been hit or miss, and it misses way too many from the outside, but it’ll keep bombing away.
It’s a simple equation. Marquette is usually fine when it hits its shots - some teams can overcome cold shooting days. Not this one.
When it’s making at least 44% from the floor, that means the steals are there and the transition baskets are coming. But when it’s off there’s a huge problem.
The Golden Eagles are 4-7 when shooting under 41% - they won't be that off, but ...
Marquette vs New Mexico: Who Will Win?
New Mexico is 14-0 when keeping teams under 43% shooting. The defense forces a ton of mistakes, but Marquette is among the best in the nation at not giving the ball away.
In a nip-and-tuck game, the Marquette D will do more than New Mexico’s.
Marquette vs New Mexico Prediction, Betting Lines
Prediction: Marquette 79, New Mexico 74
Marquette vs New Mexico Betting Lines
BetMGM Line: Marquette -4.5, o/u: 152.5
DraftKings Line: Marquette -3.5, o/u: 152.5
FanDuel Line: Marquette -3.5, o/u: 152.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5
First Look Quick Analysis, Predictions
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TODAY'S BEST
Update From Steelers' AFC North Rival Has To Have Fans In Baltimore Extremely Concerned
The Pittsburgh Steelers have high hopes for the 2025 NFL season after a plethora of roster moves occurred following a 2024 Wild Card loss to the Baltimore Ravens. One of the main challenges ahead will be the difficulty of playing in the AFC North. All games are hard-fought, no matter what record each respective team has, so all four organizations, including the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, believe that a division title is within reach. Time will tell which franchise will come out on top, but fans around the NFL always love to tune in when the AFC North has in-division games on the schedule. Both Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh have been around for a quite a while, which is why the two have so much respect for one another. Games between the Steelers and Ravens are often highly-anticipated and then highly-viewed. The contests always feature plenty of hard hits, and players for both organizations come out of them a little bit more bruised than they normally would have after a playing against a different opponent. This is exactly why health is so critical when these games come around twice per regular season. As all 32 franchises get ready to kick off the important football in just over a week's time, the Ravens set foot on the practice field on Monday. Unfortunately for fans in Baltimore, there were a plethora of impactful individuals that were watching from the sidelines, according to ESPN beat writer, Jamison Hensley. As roster cutdowns on Tuesday loom large, it's not ideal for a team practicing the day before to have this many questions marks when it comes to health. Even if many of the listed players are ready to go for the season opener, the Ravens are having important guys miss practice as the final ramp-up for the season begins. That's never a good sign, especially because starting out slow could completely derail any organization's campaign. Having certain personnel such as Patrick Ricard, Mark Andrews and newly-acquired Jaire Alexander on the shelf for a practice in late August could be precautionary, but it also could point to a much bigger issue that is developing. The Ravens haven't been known to be one of the league's healthiest teams in recent seasons, so this report from Hensley signals that there are still some things to work out before the meaningful contests begin. The injury bug is specifically affecting Baltimore on the defensive side of the ball. While Ricard and Andrews are two playmakers on the offensive end, there are several members of the secondary that remain watching in street clothes. If some of these carry into the regular season, it's possible that the Ravens will be a step behind the Steelers, Bengals and Browns. Steelers Hoping To Overachieve In Difficult AFC North Division Pittsburgh is not the favorite to win the AFC North, and is not even the second team listed when it comes to the odds. The Ravens and Bengals are the pair of squads to watch, but the Steelers are hoping to flip that narrative early on. As long as Tomlin's group can stay healthy in the final couple weeks of practice and not have any injury updates that look like Baltimore's most recent one, it's certainly possible for the Steelers to start off the regular season the right way. Would you be concerned about the Ravens' latest injury update if you were a fan down in Baltimore?
Zachary Yager, Veteran NASCAR Pit Crew Member, Dies Aged 35
Zachary Yager, who had served as an over-the-wall pit crew member in the NASCAR National Series ranks since the 2014 season, has died at the age of 35. TobyChristie.com had the initial report of Yager's death. Yager, a New York native, had pit crew stints with Richard Childress Racing, Team Penske, RFK Racing, and JTG Daugherty Racing (now known as HYAK Motorsports), where he won the 2023 Daytona 500, from 2014 to 2024. Ahead of the 2025 season, Yager moved to Elite Race Services, a Mooresville, NC-based company that specializes in assembling teams of pit crews for NASCAR National Series race teams. This season, Yager had been serving as the Jack Man for the No. 39 RSS Racing team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as well as the No. 88 ThorSport Racing team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The loss of Yager was absolutely unexpected for Elite Race Services, which is grieving the loss of one of its own, while issuing its deepest sympathy to Yager's family. “Obviously, nobody saw this coming and we’re in total disbelief,” Cory DeMarco, owner of Elite Race Services said in a statement given to TobyChristie.com. “All of the guys send our thoughts and prayers out to his dad and family, right now.” ThorSport Racing, likewise, expressed grief over the sudden and unexpected loss of Yager. “We are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of our friend and teammate, Zachary Yager,” said ThorSport Racing in a statement. “He was an important part of our family, and our hearts are with his loved ones and community as we grieve this loss together.” While he was serving as a Jack Man this season, Yager was well-known as a well-rounded pit crew member, who could perform at nearly every position on an over-the-wall pit crew. Yager previously served as a Tire Carrier and Fueler in addition to the Jack Man role. No details surrounding Yager's death have been released, but the veteran pit crew member had been missing since Monday, August 18, according to various social media posts from members of Yager's family.
How does Terry McLaurin's extension stack up to other star WRs?
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin reportedly sought a deal similar to that of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf. The team gave him what he wanted on Monday. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the star WR's agents, Buddy Baker and Tony Bonagura, said he has agreed to a three-year extension worth up to $96M. Metcalf, 27, signed a five-year, $150M deal with the Steelers shortly after being traded from the Seattle Seahawks in March. (The deal contains an out after the 2026 season.) While Commanders fans are happy that McLaurin should now be ready for Week 1 against the New York Giants, the move could be considered a slight overpay. The former Ohio State Buckeyes star turns 30 on Sept. 15, an age when WRs typically decline. Other WRs who are approaching their 30s have signed for less this offseason. Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton, who turns 30 on Oct. 10, signed a four-year, $92M extension in July. McLaurin, however, has been more productive than Sutton and Metcalf throughout his career. Since the Commanders selected him with pick No. 76 in the 2019 NFL Draft, he has amassed 6,379 receiving yards. Metcalf had 6,324 receiving yards in his first six seasons with Seattle, while Sutton had 5,340 receiving yards in his first seven seasons with Denver. McLaurin has played with subpar quarterbacks for most of his career. After Washington added star QB Jayden Daniels in 2024, he produced even better numbers. In 17 games, he logged a career-high 13 touchdown catches, the second most in the league. "Obviously, me and Terry have a very good relationship," Daniels has said this offseason, via ESPN's John Keim. "Whenever the time comes and he's back out there on the field, I don't feel we'll miss a beat." The Commanders may have paid a little more than they wanted to, but the signing is still a solid move. McLaurin is of a similar caliber to his peers. He could also help Washington go on an even deeper playoff run after making the NFC Championship Game last season.
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers sends message to Jets fans ahead of Week 1 showdown
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will experience somewhat of a homecoming when the Steelers open the upcoming season with a matchup at the New York Jets on Sept. 7. Rodgers lost more than he won when he was on the field as the Jets' QB1 over the past two campaigns. During a Monday appearance on SiriusXM's Mad Dog Sports Radio, Rodgers was asked if he had a message for Jets fans ahead of the Week 1 showdown at MetLife Stadium. "I really embraced my time there and put as much myself into it as I possibly could," Rodgers responded, as shared by Kevin Patra of the NFL's website. "I really wanted to win there, I really did. And I have a lot of appreciation for the special moments. ...I wish it had gone differently up there for sure, but I put all I had into it. I tore my Achilles and battled my (expletive) back to come back to practice to inspire the guys and hope to come back. I put a lot into it and I'm sorry it didn't work out, but I'm thankful for the couple special moments that were had." Rodgers suffered the noteworthy Achilles injury just four offensive snaps into his Jets debut in September 2023. More recently, he reportedly "never saw eye-to-eye" with Jets star wide receiver Garrett Wilson as the club notched only five wins last season. Per ESPN stats, the Jets finished the 2024 campaign ranked 24th in the league with an average of 310.3 offensive yards per game and tied for 24th with an average of 19.9 points scored per contest. Neither first-year head coach Aaron Glenn nor general manager Darren Mougey was part of the Jets regime that acquired Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers in the spring of 2023. That may be one reason the future Hall of Famer seemingly isn't viewing the regular-season opener as some type of "revenge game" after the Jets showed him the door earlier this year. "A lot has changed over there, coaching staff-wise, player-wise," Rodgers added about the Jets on Monday. "Obviously, I have friendships over there, but it's one game out of 17, and at five o'clock eastern on that Sunday, it's only going to be on to the next game. So that's just the way it is." As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Steelers as 2.5-point favorites against the Jets. If nothing else, it could be interesting to see and hear how Jets fans greet Rodgers the first time he comes out of the tunnel in his Steelers uniform.
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