Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks vs McNeese Cowboys Prediction, 1/5/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks vs McNeese Cowboys

Date: Monday, January 5, 2026

Location: Townsley Law Arena in Lake Charles, LA

TV: ESPN+

The McNeese Cowboys (10-3) will compete against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (11-2) at Townsley Law Arena on Monday.

The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks played Northwestern State and earned the victory with a final of 74-64 in their last contest. Stephen F. Austin finished having earned a 46.6% FG percentage (27 out of 58) and made 6 of their 23 shots from 3-point land. From the charity stripe, the Lumberjacks converted 14 of 20 attempts for a percentage of 70.0%. With regard to grabbing boards, they earned 38 with 11 of them being on the offensive end. They also dished out 13 dimes for this game while creating 6 turnovers and getting 4 steals. When it comes to defending, Stephen F. Austin allowed the other team to go 41.5% from the floor on 22 of 53 shooting. Northwestern State totaled 8 assists and had 4 steals in this contest. Additionally, Northwestern State grabbed 25 rebounds (5 offensive, 20 defensive), but wasn't able to record a block. Northwestern State ended up going 64.0% at the free throw line by converting 16 of 25 tries. They also buried 4 out of their 17 attempts from 3-point land. In the matter of fouls, the Lumberjacks ended up finishing with 19 while Northwestern State had 16 fouls.

Keon Thompson is one player who had an impact for this contest. He ended up shooting 53.8% from the field and also dished out 5 assists. He was on the hardwood for 32 mins played and also totaled 2 rebounds. He accumulated 21 points on 7 out of 13 shooting.

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Stephen F. Austin enters this game with a win-loss mark of 11-2 so far this year. They have an average of 80.2 pts per contest (126th in the country) while connecting on 45.9% from the field. The Lumberjacks are connecting on 37.2% on shots from distance (127 of 341) and 62.7% from the free throw line. As a unit, Stephen F. Austin is collecting 40.2 rebounds per game and is sitting with 201 dimes this season, which has them ranked 176th in college in terms of passing. They are losing possession via turnover 9.4 times per game and as a unit they are committing 18.1 personal fouls per contest.

When they are on defense, the Lumberjacks are forcing 11.8 turnovers every game and they draw 14.7 fouls. They are ranked 12th in college hoops in giving up assists to their opponents with 124 relinquished on the year. The Lumberjacks are giving up a FG percentage of 40.1% (293 of 730) and they relinquish 33.9 boards per contest as a squad. They are surrendering 28.3% on three-point shots and they are 26th in the country in PPG allowed (65.0).

When they last stepped on the court, the McNeese Cowboys went home defeated by a final of 112-71 when they faced Michigan. The Cowboys earned 15 defensive rebounds and 13 offensive boards totaling 28 for this contest. They also turned it over 8 times, while getting 5 steals in the matchup. Michigan committed 19 fouls for this game which took the Cowboys to the free throw line for 24 tries. They were able to bury 17 of those for a rate of 70.8%. In regard to shots from downtown, McNeese made 8 of 34 attempts (23.5%). When this game wrapped up, the Cowboys shot 23 for 78 from the field which gave them a rate of 29.5%. The Cowboys permitted Michigan to convert 37 of their 63 attempts from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 58.7% for the matchup. They finished 30.4% from three-point range by going 7 of 23 and ended up going 31 of 45 at the free throw line (68.9%). When talking about rebounds, McNeese permitted Michigan to get 53 overall (13 offensive).

Garwey Dual pitched in for the Cowboys in this matchup. He racked up 15 points in his 31 mins of playing time and added 3 assists in the matchup. He knocked down 5 of 13 in the matchup giving him a field goal percentage of 38.5%, and had 5 rebounds.

McNeese has a mark of 10-3 this season. In terms of offensive execution, the Cowboys are hitting on 49.3% from the field, which ranks them 43rd in the country. McNeese has accounted for 1,127 pts this year (86.7 per contest) and they snag 36.3 rebounds per contest. They are earning an assist 16.0 times per game (102nd in college) and they turn the ball over 10.2 times per game. The Cowboys commit 19.4 personal fouls every game and they shoot 77.3% from the charity stripe.

The McNeese defense surrenders 33.1% on 3-point shots (119 of 360) and opponents are converting on 70.5% of their foul shots. They have relinquished 12.8 dimes and 33.8 rebounds per contest, which has them ranked 143rd and 150th in college hoops. The Cowboys on the defensive side of the court are 92nd in D-1 in points allowed per game with 69.2. They are forcing 18.2 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 40.2% from the floor (56th in the country).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take McNeese

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