Iona vs New Mexico Basketball Prediction & Picks: Who will win the battle of the Pitinos in Albuquerque?

It isn’t a showdown between two of the top teams in the country, but the most interesting game on Sunday’s college basketball schedule is a father versus son matchup in Albuquerque, New Mexico between Rick Pitino’s Iona Gaels and Richard Pitino’s New Mexico Lobos.

The matchup at The Pit is scheduled to tip off at 6:30 pm ET (4:30 pm local time), and you can catch all of the action from Albuquerque on FS1.

The Gaels (7-2, 2-0 MAAC) have won five straight games since a loss to Santa Clara, including an impressive 22-point win over Saint Louis earlier this month.

The Lobos, meanwhile, are one of five remaining unbeaten teams in Division I basketball, along with UConn (12-0), #1 Purdue (11-0), Mississippi State (11-0), and fellow Mountain West member Utah State (9-0).

Will the son get the best of his Hall of Famer father to stay perfect? Read on for our Iona vs New Mexico prediction, along with our betting picks and breakdown for this Pitino versus Pitino matchup.

Iona vs New Mexico Odds

Odds are via BetOnline as of Sunday, December 18, 2022, at 12:50 pm ET. Odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites may also appear in this article.

Spread

• Iona +2.5 (-102)
• New Mexico -2.5 (-120)

Over/Under

• Over 152.5 (-105)
• Under 152.5 (-115)

Moneyline

• Iona +126
• New Mexico -152

Will Iona Outlast the High-Scoring Lobos?

New Mexico hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament or participated in any postseason play since 2014, and they went 13-19 in Richard Pitino’s first season.

But they are off to a fantastic start this season, which includes a road win over Saint Mary’s.

Until their 67-64 win over San Francisco last Monday, their 69-65 win over Saint Mary’s was the lowest-scoring performance for a team that goes into the matchup with Iona averaging 83.8 PPG, which ranks 15th in the country.

New Mexico has three players averaging over 16 points per game, in guards Jaelen House (16.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.9 SPG) and Jamal Mashburn Jr. (17.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG) and forward Morris Udeze (18.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG).

All three players are transfers, with Udeze a new addition who transferred in from Wichita State last offseason. So is the team’s leading rebounder and fourth-leading scorer, Josiah Allick (9.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG), a transfer from Missouri-Kansas City.

Iona’s no slouch in the scoring department either, as the Gaels are averaging 77.4 PPG.

That number would likely be higher if they hadn’t been playing without senior forward Quinn Slazinski, who opened the season with 16 points against Penn and 20 points and 10 rebounds against Hofstra.

Still, the Gaels have scored 75+ points in four of the games that they have played without Slazinski and at least 70 points in all seven games.

Iona vs New Mexico Prediction and Picks

Gaels vs Lobos Prediction: New Mexico to win

Gaels vs Lobos Picks: New Mexico to cover & Iona/New Mexico over

The spread and total have both done a lot of movement today, but the best number (New Mexico -2.5) can be found at BetOnline and BetUS, while the best number for the total (150.5) can also be found at the latter.

The Lobos haven’t really played anyone besides Saint Mary’s, but their best win is far better than Iona’s best win.

The Lobos have scored at least 76 points in each of their home games this season, and Monday’s win over San Francisco was their closest game of the season.

I expect both teams to score into at least the 70s, but son will get bragging rights over father as the improved Lobos will move to 11-0 with a well-earned win over the Gaels.

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