The New Mexico Lobos play the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the NIT semifinals from Indianapolis, Indiana. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
New Mexico is favored by -3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -178. The total is set at 160.5 points.
Here’s my New Mexico vs. Tulsa predictions and college basketball picks for April 2, 2026.
New Mexico vs Tulsa Prediction
My Pick: New Mexico -3.5 (Play to -5)
My New Mexico vs Tulsa best bet is on the Lobos to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
New Mexico vs Tulsa Odds
| New Mexico Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -118 | 161.5 -110o / -110u | -178 |
| Tulsa Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -104 | 161.5 -110o / -110u | +146 |
- New Mexico vs Tulsa spread: New Mexico -3.5
- New Mexico vs Tulsa over/under: 160.5 points
- New Mexico vs Tulsa moneyline: New Mexico -182, Tulsa +150
New Mexico vs Tulsa Kalshi Odds
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New Mexico vs Tulsa College Basketball Betting Preview
New Mexico had some up-and-down moments in Mountain West play, leading to the Lobos finishing with a 23-10 overall record and a 14-8 mark in league play.
Eric Olen helped bring a terrific defensive system to New Mexico. The Lobos boast the 42nd-best defense in the country, per KenPom. They force turnovers 19% of the time and hold opponents to 30% shooting from deep.
That number is even more important since teams attempt 3s on 48% of their shots against New Mexico.
Tulsa will oblige with shooting 3s, as it's attempting them on 48% of its field goals and hitting 39% of them. Something has to give.
Can New Mexico contain the high-powered offensive attack of the Golden Hurricane?
A pivotal part of the shooting attack is Miles Barnstable, who's averaging 17.7 points per game in the NIT and has attempted nine or more 3s in each game. Head coach Eric Konkol draws up a lot of actions to get his sniper involved, so New Mexico will have to keep a body on him.
Almost everyone in Tulsa's lineup is a threat from deep. The only "non-shooter" is big man Tyler Behrend, who's 9-of-35 from deep. The other four starters shoot 39% or better from downtown, including lead guard Tylen Riley.
He takes fewer than two 3s per game, but he's a blur getting to the hoop and loves to finish at the rim or dish to shooters. Riley can be a bit loose with the ball, though, and New Mexico could exploit that.
On the defensive end, Tulsa is just 139th in efficiency. It holds teams to 50% shooting on 2s (112th) and 32.6% from 3 (91st). The concern is the interior defense, as it has no real shot blockers.
With the dominance of New Mexico big man Tomislav Buljan, it helps to have a rim-deterrent. Nobody on Tulsa's roster can check Buljan, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound big man who's averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds per game in the NIT.
If Buljan plays well, that'll make Tulsa either double him or just live with the results and hope the others don't shoot well. If it doubles, New Mexico has the shooters to make the Golden Hurricane pay.
Jake Hall is a stud freshman who shot 45% from 3 this season and made at least three triples in each NIT game. Fellow freshman Uriah Tenette is also a threat from deep.
There isn't an easy way to contain this New Mexico offense. It can shoot, hitting 3s at a 36% clip (50th) while drilling 53% on 2s (94th).
The best way to hold the Lobos in check is by slowing the game down. They want to get running in transition on the offensive end, and it's harder to run if the defense gets set.
In all, I view New Mexico's matchup advantages as too much for Tulsa to overcome. Buljan can dominate Tulsa's shaky rim defense, and the Golden Hurricane are a bad shooting game away from being in real danger.
My Pick: New Mexico -3.5 (Play to -5)
