McNeese Cowboys vs Lamar Cardinals Prediction, 1/31/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: McNeese Cowboys vs Lamar Cardinals

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Location: Montagne Center in Beaumont, TX

TV: ESPN+

Montagne Center is the location where the Lamar Cardinals (11-10) will try to defeat the McNeese Cowboys (17-4) on Saturday.

The McNeese Cowboys took the court against SE Louisiana and earned the victory with a final of 76-66 in their last game. McNeese finished with a 51.0% FG percentage (25 of 49) and converted 5 of their 15 3-point shots. At the free throw line, the Cowboys converted 21 of their 29 attempts for a rate of 72.4%. With regard to pulling down boards, they earned 27 with 8 of them being on the offensive end. They also distributed 10 dimes for the game in addition to forcing 18 turnovers and having 13 steals. With regard to the defense, McNeese allowed the other team to go 38.5% from the floor on 15 of 39 shooting. SE Louisiana recorded 6 dimes and had 7 steals in this contest. Furthermore, SE Louisiana snagged 26 rebounds (6 offensive, 20 defensive), but wrapped up the game with no rejections. SE Louisiana finished the contest at 77.8% when shooting free throws by knocking down 28 of 36 attempts. They also buried 8 of 22 shots from downtown. Regarding fouls, the Cowboys ended up finishing with 25 and SE Louisiana had 20 fouls.

Larry Johnson is a player who had an impact in this contest. He ended up finishing with 20 points on 6 of 10 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 27 mins and totaled 2 rebounds. He ended up going 60.0% from the floor and totaled 1 assist.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Today

McNeese steps onto the court with a record of 17-4 for the season. They average 83.1 pts per contest (59th in D-1) while hitting 48.0% from the field. The Cowboys are shooting 32.0% on 3-point shots (140 of 437) and 77.1% from the free throw line. As a team, McNeese is pulling down 36.3 boards per game and has totaled 307 dimes this season, which is 153rd in the nation in terms of passing the rock. They are turning it over 10.0 times per contest and as a group they commit 19.5 fouls on a nightly basis.

When they are on the defensive end, the Cowboys are forcing 17.3 turnovers per contest while drawing 18.2 fouls. They are ranked 117th in the nation in giving up assists to their opponents with 264 conceded this year. The Cowboys defensively are giving up a shooting percentage of 40.9% (456 of 1,114) and they surrender 32.6 boards per game as a group. They are giving up 33.6% on three-point shots and they are ranked 46th in college in points per game allowed (67.8).

When they last stepped on the hardwood, the Lamar Cardinals took home the win by a final score of 82-61 when they faced East Texas A&M. Concerning how they attacked the glass, Lamar permitted East Texas A&M to grab 27 overall (9 offensive). They finished the game shooting 29.2% from downtown by going 7 out of 24 and ended up shooting 8 out of 17 at the free throw line (47.1%). The Cardinals permitted East Texas A&M to convert 23 out of 64 attempts from the floor which left them shooting 35.9% in the game. At the conclusion of this game, the Cardinals shot 31 out of 64 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 48.4%. When discussing 3-pointers, Lamar converted 11 out of their 24 tries (45.8%). They were able to convert 9 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 64.3%. East Texas A&M earned 12 fouls in this contest which got the Cardinals to the free throw line for a total of 14 tries. They also turned it over 13 times, while recording 5 steals for this game. The Cardinals snagged 33 defensive boards and 13 offensive rebounds totaling 46 for the matchup.

Rob Lee Jr. pitched in for the Cardinals for this contest. He had 28 points in his 26 minutes of playing time and totaled 2 dimes in this game. He made 9 out of 12 for this game giving him a rate of 75.0%, and had 7 rebounds.

Lamar has a win-loss mark of 11-10 so far this year. The Cardinals are committing 17.9 fouls per contest and they go 71.7% from the free throw line. They are dishing out assists 15.1 times per contest (122nd in the country) and they are turning it over 12.2 times per contest. Lamar has totaled 1,525 points on the year (72.6 per contest) and they average 37.5 boards per contest. In terms of offensive execution, the Cardinals are shooting 44.0% from the field, which ranks 256th in Division 1.

The Cardinals on the defensive end are ranked 61st in college in points given up per game with 69.0. They are able to force 12.8 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 43.2% from the field (152nd in college hoops). The Lamar defense surrenders 34.8% on 3-point attempts (146 of 419) and their opponents are making 67.3% of their foul shots. They have allowed 12.6 assists and 32.9 boards per game, which is 118th and 86th in college hoops.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take McNeese

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.