No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 12 New Mexico State preview, picks for second round of 2022 NCAA Tournament

A trip to the regional semifinal in the West Region will be on the line tonight as the No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks will battle the No. 12 New Mexico State Aggies at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY.

The game will tip off at 8:40 p.m. ET on TNT. Arkansas enters as a 6.5-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook.

No. 4 Arkansas: 26-8 (13-5 SEC):

First round result: Defeated No. 13 Vermont 75-71
KenPom rating: 18 Overall, 37 Offense, 18 Defense
NET ranking: 20, (7-6 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: JD Notae (18.4 ppg)
Key stat: Three of Arkansas’ last four wins have come within two scores.

Arkansas was on upset alert against Vermont on Thursday but survived Vermont for a four-point win. The Catamounts pulled to within two with 14 seconds left by JD Notae drained a pair of clutch free throws to seal the victory in this tight matchup. He finished the game with 17 points and seven rebounds while Stanley Umude led with 21 points and nine boards.

Arkansas is shooting just 30.7% from three and will have to improve those numbers at some point in the tournament.

No. 12 New Mexico State: 27-6 (13-4 WAC):

First round result: Defeated No. 5 UConn 70-63
KenPom rating: 75 Overall, 76 Offense, 74 Defense
NET ranking: 79, (2-0 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: Teddy Allen (19.9 ppg)
Key stat: NMSU is 5-1 on neutral courts this season.

One of the annual 12 over five upsets this year belonged to New Mexico State, who sent UConn home packing with a seven-point victory on Thursday. This game belonged to Teddy Allen, who was a one-man offensive show for the Aggies with 37 points. No other NMSU player cracked double digits in points.

The Aggies only shot 36.4% from two in the win and will have to shoot better inside the arc to get past the Razorbacks.

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook

Point spread: Arkansas -6.5
Point total: 138.5
Moneyline: Arkansas -280, New Mexico State +225

The Pick

Against The Spread Pick: -6.5
Point total pick: Over 138.5
Pick to Win: Arkansas

Arkansas possesses the 18th best defense in adjusted efficiency and will most likely pay extra attention to Allen in this matchup. With its top scorer being keyed in on, New Mexico State won’t have many answers offensively. Roll with the Razorbacks here.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.