McNeese Cowboys vs New Orleans Privateers Prediction, 2/28/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: McNeese Cowboys vs New Orleans Privateers

Date: Saturday, February 28, 2026

Location: Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA

TV: ESPN+

The McNeese Cowboys (24-5) are traveling to Lakefront Arena on Saturday where they will take on the New Orleans Privateers (14-15).

The McNeese Cowboys faced off with UT Rio Grande and took home the win by a score of 75-68 in their last game. In reference to personal fouls, the Cowboys ended up finishing with 15 and UT Rio Grande recorded 21 personal fouls. They buried 8 of 27 tries from 3-point land. UT Rio Grande ended up shooting 58.8% from the free throw line by burying 10 of their 17 attempts. In addition, UT Rio Grande pulled down 28 rebounds (4 offensive, 24 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. UT Rio Grande earned 12 assists and had 6 steals for the contest. With respect to defense, McNeese allowed 50.0% from the floor on 25 of 50 shooting. They also doled out 15 assists for the matchup while forcing the opposition into 16 turnovers and getting 13 steals. In regard to pulling down rebounds, they collected 32 with 11 of them being on the offensive end. At the free throw line, the Cowboys knocked down 21 of their 29 attempts for a rate of 72.4%. McNeese walked away from the contest having earned a 43.1% FG percentage (25 out of 58) and knocked down 4 out of their 18 shots from downtown.

Larry Johnson is a guy who was a contributor in this contest. He ended up walking away with 20 points on 8 out of 17 shooting. He was on the court for 36 minutes played and grabbed 8 boards. He finished shooting 47.1% from the field and also totaled 2 dimes.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Today

McNeese comes into this game with a win-loss record of 24-5 on the season. They lose possession via turnover 9.6 times per contest and as a unit they commit 18.6 personal fouls on a nightly basis. As a team, McNeese is collecting 35.0 rebounds per game and has accounted for 417 dimes for the season, which has them ranked 134th in college in terms of passing. The Cowboys are shooting 32.3% from downtown (194 of 600) and 75.6% from the free throw line. They are averaging 80.7 points per contest (73rd in college hoops) while shooting 47.3% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Cowboys have forced 16.9 turnovers every game and they draw 17.7 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 114th in Division 1 in giving up assists with 363 conceded this year. The Cowboys are allowing a shooting percentage of 41.0% (625 of 1,523) and they surrender 32.9 rebounds per contest as a team. They are conceding 33.2% on shots from beyond the perimeter and they are ranked 21st in the nation in PPG allowed (66.4).

When they last stepped on the court, the New Orleans Privateers went home victorious with a score of 77-73 against Stephen F. Austin. The Privateers collected 25 defensive boards and 12 offensive rebounds for a total of 37 for the contest. They also turned it over 14 times, while earning 5 steals in this contest. Stephen F. Austin earned 16 fouls for this game which took the Privateers to the free throw line for a total of 24 shots. They were able to knock down 21 of those for a clip of 87.5%. In reference to shooting from 3-point land, New Orleans knocked down 4 out of their 16 attempts (25.0%). When the final whistle blew, the Privateers shot 26 out of 54 from the floor which had them sitting at 48.1%. The Privateers permitted Stephen F. Austin to make 25 of 69 tries from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 36.2% in this game. They finished the game shooting 17.6% from downtown by going 3 of 17 and ended up shooting 20 out of 24 from the charity stripe (83.3%). In the matter of team rebounding, New Orleans permitted Stephen F. Austin to pull down 34 in all (18 on the offensive glass).

Coleton Benson pitched in for the Privateers for the matchup. He scored 30 points in his 40 minutes on the hardwood and totaled 2 dimes in the game. He buried 10 out of 17 for the game giving him a field goal percentage of 58.8%, and accounted for 5 rebounds.

New Orleans has a win-loss record of 14-15 this season. On the offensive side of the ball, the Privateers are shooting 44.7% from the field, which ranks 212th in Division 1. New Orleans has accounted for 2,184 points on the season (75.3 per game) and they snag 37.3 boards per game. They are assisting teammates 13.0 times per game (251st in college hoops) and they are giving up possession 14.6 times per game. The Privateers are responsible for committing 19.8 fouls per game while shooting 75.1% from the free throw line.

The Privateers on defense are ranked 308th in Division 1 in points given up per game with 78.7. They are forcing 10.4 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 42.2% from the floor (75th in college hoops). The New Orleans defense concedes 32.3% on 3-point shots (234 of 724) and their opponents are connecting on 72.9% of their shots from the free throw line. They have conceded 16.1 assists and 35.5 rebounds per game, which has them ranked 338th and 252nd in the nation.

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

Guy Bruhn'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.