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McNeese vs. Lamar Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Monday, Feb. 26 (Back the Cardinals as Home Underdogs)

College basketball betting preview, prediction and best bet for McNeese vs. Lamar.

By Shelby Dermer

McNeese's CJ Felder vaults over TAMUCC Stephen Giwa during the game at the American Bank Center on
McNeese's CJ Felder vaults over TAMUCC Stephen Giwa during the game at the American Bank Center on / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY
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They’re talking about the NCAA Tournament in Lake Charles, Louisiana for the first time in over two decades as the McNeese Cowboys have a great chance of earning a March Madness bid for the first time since 2002. 

McNeese, which can all but wrap up the Southland’s regular-season conference title on Monday, is 24-3 with just one league loss. They’ll visit Lamar, which is fourth in the Southland and won six of its last nine games.

Lamar is a double-digit home underdog in Monday’s tilt. Can they hang with the first-place Cowboys? Here’s the betting preview for the conference clash with a best bet. 

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McNeese vs. Lamar odds, spread and total

McNeese vs. Lamar betting trends

  • McNeese is 13-10 ATS this season
  • Lamar is 15-9-1 ATS this season
  • McNeese is 9-9 ATS as a favorite this season
  • Lamar is 7-5-1 ATS as an underdog this season
  • The OVER is 13-9-1 in McNeese games this season
  • The OVER is 16-9 in Lamar games this season

McNeese vs. Lamar how to watch

  • Date: Monday, Feb. 26
  • Game time: 8 p.m. EST
  • Venue: Montagne Center
  • How to watch (TV): ESPN+
  • McNeese record: 24-3 (13-1 Southland)
  • Lamar record: 15-12 (9-5 Southland)

McNeese vs. Lamar key players to watch

McNeese

Christian Shumate: Shumate might be an undersized forward at 6-foot-6, but the junior from Chicago is still leading the Southland in rebounding at 9.7 per game. On the offensive end, he’s averaging 12.4 points per game while shooting 56.4% from the floor. Shumate has turned in four consecutive double-doubles. 

Lamar 

Terry Anderson: The junior forward is an all-around stat-stuffer for the Cardinals. Anderson leads Lamar in scoring at 12.6 points per game while grabbing 6.3 rebounds and dishing out nearly three assists per night. Anderson has finished one rebound shy of a double-double in each of the last two games, combining for 31 points and 18 rebounds in that stretch. 

McNeese vs. Lamar prediction and pick 

Lamar had a brief two-game winning streak before getting smashed at home by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (75-61) on Saturday. Can they bounce back? Lamar has the second-best ATS mark in the Southland Conference this season at 15-9-1 and has been a monster at home this season.

Inside the Montagne Center, Lamar is 8–1-1 ATS, with the aforementioned loss on Saturday being its lone defeat. 

McNeese has one of the best offenses in the nation, ranking No. 59 in KenPom in efficiency with the No. 32 squad in effective field goal percentage and No. 15 in turnover percentage. McNeese’s top attribute is perimeter shooting.

The Cowboys are the No. 7 3-point shooting team in the nation, per KenPom, which makes for a big advantage in this matchup against a Lamar defense that struggles to defend shots from beyond the arc (No. 259). 

Lamar can light it up from deep, too. The Cardinals are No. 61 in KenPom from beyond the arc. Lamar might struggle with turnovers on Monday against a McNeese defense that ranks No. 6 in steal percentage, but will have advantage on the offensive glass.

The Cardinals are No. 72 in offensive rebounding percentage and the Cowboys are just No. 215 in defensive rebounding. 

Both offenses have the ability to light up the scoreboard, which is why they’ve combined to go 29-18-1 to the over this season. Lamar has been too elite at home this season and have a great bounce-back spot after a double-digit loss while McNeese is just 2-5 ATS as a road favorite. Take the Cardinals as double-digit underdogs. 

Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.

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