McNeese Cowboys vs UT Rio Grande Vaqueros Prediction, 1/17/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: McNeese Cowboys vs UTRGV Vaqueros

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026

Location: UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg, TX

TV: ESPN+

The UTRGV Vaqueros (6-11) host the McNeese Cowboys (14-3) at UTRGV Fieldhouse on Saturday.

The McNeese Cowboys played Nicholls State and went home with a win by a final score of 94-68 in their last contest. McNeese ended the game having earned a 51.6% field goal percentage (32 out of 62) and converted 11 out of their 23 shots from beyond the arc. At the charity stripe, the Cowboys made 19 of their 22 attempts for a rate of 86.4%. Regarding hauling in rebounds, they earned 36 with 8 of them being on the offensive end. They also recorded 18 dimes for this game while forcing the other team into 19 turnovers and getting 9 steals. Concerning the defense, McNeese allowed 40.7% from the field on 24 out of 59 shooting. Nicholls State dished out 16 assists and had 9 steals in the game. Furthermore, Nicholls State pulled down 28 boards (10 offensive, 18 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. Nicholls State finished shooting 57.1% from the charity stripe by knocking down 8 of their 14 shots. They converted 12 out of their 33 attempts from beyond the arc. When discussing personal fouls, the Cowboys finished with 15 and Nicholls State finished the game with 17 personal fouls.

Larry Johnson is a player who played a role in the matchup. He racked up 24 points on 9 out of 16 shooting. He played 23 mins and also pulled down 10 boards. He shot 56.3% from the floor but wasn't able to get a dime.

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McNeese steps onto the hardwood with a record of 14-3 on the year. They average 84.8 points per outing (49th in the country) while hitting 48.8% from the field. The Cowboys are hitting 33.7% on shots from 3-point land (122 of 362) and 76.9% from the free throw line. As a unit, McNeese is grabbing 36.3 boards per contest and has tallied 261 assists on the year, which has them ranked 143rd in D-1 in terms of passing the ball. They turn the ball over 9.9 times per game and as a group they are committing 19.2 fouls per contest.

On the defensive end, the Cowboys are forcing their opponents into 17.5 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 18.2 fouls. They are ranked 135th in the nation in giving up assists to their opponents with 220 relinquished so far this season. The Cowboys defense is allowing a FG percentage of 40.1% (378 of 942) and they relinquish 34.1 rebounds per game as a group. They surrender 33.1% on shots from beyond the perimeter and they rank 62nd in college hoops in PPG from their opponents (68.4).

When they last stepped on the hardwood, the UTRGV Vaqueros took a loss by a score of 64-63 against Northwestern State. The Vaqueros earned 24 defensive rebounds and 4 offensive boards for a total of 28 for the contest. They coughed it up 13 times, while getting 8 steals in this contest. Northwestern State committed 10 personal fouls for the game which got the Vaqueros to the charity stripe for a total of 7 tries. They were able to make 7 of the free throw tries for a percentage of 100.0%. In regard to 3-point attempts, UT Rio Grande buried 8 out of 25 attempts (32.0%). When all was said and done, the Vaqueros finished shooting 24 out of 53 from the field which had them shooting 45.3%. The Vaqueros allowed Northwestern State to convert 20 of their 49 attempts from the field which had them at 40.8% for this contest. They went 30.0% from three-point range by connecting on 6 of 20 and walked away from this one shooting 18 out of 23 at the charity stripe (78.3%). Regarding how they rebounded, UT Rio Grande allowed Northwestern State to pull down 27 in all (6 on the offensive glass).

Filip Brankovic ended up having an impact for the Vaqueros for this game. He earned 19 points in his 24 minutes of playing time and earned 1 assist in this contest. He buried 6 of 10 in the game giving him a rate of 60.0%, and had 2 rebounds.

UT Rio Grande has a win-loss record of 6-11 for the season. When it comes to offense, the Vaqueros are shooting 45.8% from the field, which is ranked 165th in Division 1. UT Rio Grande has accumulated 1,265 pts on the campaign (74.4 per contest) and they pull in 35.6 boards per contest. They are dishing out assists 16.4 times per game (75th in D-1) and they are turning it over 12.0 times per game. The Vaqueros commit 17.9 fouls every game and they go 72.4% from the free throw line.

The Vaqueros are ranked 98th in college in PPG given up with 70.5. They are able to force 11.8 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 41.6% from the field (76th in D-1). The UT Rio Grande defense gives up 32.0% on shots from beyond the arc (131 of 410) and opponents are making 71.5% of their free throw attempts. They concede 14.4 assists and 34.9 boards per game, which has them ranked 253rd and 208th in college hoops.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take McNeese

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