The McNeese Cowboys have been the cream of the Southland Conference crop all season. With a win over the Lamar Cardinals in today's Southland Tournament final, they can ride into the NCAA Tournament with the lone berth that comes with the championship.
The Cowboys are massive 13-point favorites in this 5 p.m. ET tip from the Legacy Center in Lake Charles, and my Lamar vs. McNeese predictions expect the Cowboys to ride to victory — albeit with some resistance.
Read more in our college basketball picks for this Wednesday, March 12 clash.
Lamar vs McNeese prediction
Who will win Lamar vs McNeese?
The pick here must be the Cowboys, as they have been dominant at the top of the Southland, running a 19-1 regular season conference record, and 26-6 overall. McNeese has gone an incredible 21-1 since December 22, with a loss to Nicholls the only blemish and conference loss on this year’s resume.
McNeese has also beaten Lamar in five straight head-to-heads, including twice already this regular season, and seven of the last 10 against the Cardinals overall. They bring the no. 1 offense and top scoring defense in the conference to the table Wednesday night, and the Cowboys are just too strong across the board to not escape with a win.
My best bet: Lamar +13 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
While a McNeese Cowboys win is inevitable, the Lamar Cardinals are one of the few teams that gave them a close game this season. On March 1, the Cardinals nearly upended the Cowboys in a narrow 68-66 loss.
Earlier in the year, Lamar fell to McNeese 75-64. Both results fall below McNeese’s season-best 13.3-point margin of victory.
The Cardinals are not as offensively gifted as McNeese, ranking seventh in conference scoring at 70.4 points per game, but they do bring the second-best scoring defense to the table behind the Cowboys, at 65.8 points per contest.
That was on display in the tournament semifinal, as Lamar outlasted the Nicholls Colonels 58-55, holding them to 31.6% shooting from the field, and turning them over 15 times.
Alexis Marmolejos, the team’s leading scorer and a Southland Conference second-team all-star, starred with 17 points and five steals.
McNeese brings a lot of high-profile cache to the table, including Southland Player of the Year Javohn Garcia, who's coming off a 24-point, 4-assist gem over NWST in the semifinal, breaking a streak of seven straight games of sub-20 scoring.
The Cowboys also boast Defensive Player of the Year Christian Schumate and Coach of the Year Will Wade.
Even with all those accolades, the Cowboys own the third-worst cover rate in the Southland, going 15-16-0 ATS, while Lamar ranked fourth with a 17-11-1 ATS mark.
The standard has been higher for the Cowboys, though. Consider that in their last 10 games, they’ve been a double-digit favorite in eight of them, with the other two coming in at nine points.
The spread stays high here, too. Advantage, Lamar, who has gone 9-6-1 ATS as an underdog this year.
The Cardinals have a lot of points to work with, competing against a team that was just 7-7-0 ATS at home this season.
Lamar vs McNeese same-game parlay (SGP)
Lamar +13
Over 134
While defense is what Lamar hangs its hat on, the Cardinals will still need to put up points. The Cowboys have scored at least 83 in four of their last six, with an Over record of 4-2-0 in those games.
The Cardinals last went Over the total in a game on Feb 15, hitting the Under in eight of their previous nine, though they did cross the total in their first meeting with McNeese this season.
Look for the Cowboys to carry enough scoring to get both teams Over that total Wednesday.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Lamar vs McNeese odds
Lamar vs McNeese live odds
Lamar vs McNeese opening odds
- Spread: Lamar +12.5 (-110) | McNeese -12.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Lamar +700 | McNeese -1100
- Over/Under: Over 132 (-110) | Under 132 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
Lamar vs McNeese betting trend to know
The Cowboys have won 23 straight home games against Conference opponents. Find more college basketball betting trends for Lamar vs. McNeese.
How to watch Lamar vs McNeese
| Location | Legacy Center, Lake Charles, LA |
| Date | Wednesday, 3-12-2025 |
| Tip-off | 5:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN2 |
Lamar vs McNeese key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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