UT Rio Grande Vaqueros vs McNeese Cowboys Prediction, 3/10/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UTRGV Vaqueros vs McNeese Cowboys

Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Location: Townsley Law Arena in Lake Charles, LA

TV: ESPN+

Townsley Law Arena is the site where the McNeese Cowboys (26-5) will compete against the UTRGV Vaqueros (18-13) on Tuesday in the Southland Tournament Semifinals.

The UTRGV Vaqueros stepped onto the hardwood against Northwestern State and notched a win by a score of 74-62 in their last game. UT Rio Grande walked away from the contest having earned a 49.2% field goal percentage (29 out of 59) and buried 9 of their 23 shots from distance. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Vaqueros made 7 of their 10 tries for a percentage of 70.0%. When discussing hauling in boards, they earned 28 with 6 of them being offensive. They also doled out 16 assists in the game in addition to forcing the other team into 12 turnovers and earning 7 steals. When talking about defense, UT Rio Grande allowed their opponent to shoot 47.9% from the field on 23 of 48 shooting. Northwestern State recorded 14 dimes and had 4 steals in this contest. In addition, Northwestern State snagged 26 boards (5 offensive, 21 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Northwestern State finished the game at 59.1% at the charity stripe by making 13 of their 22 shots. They also knocked down 3 of 10 shots from 3-point range. In relation to fouls, the Vaqueros ended up finishing with 19 while Northwestern State totaled 15 fouls.

Koree Cotton is a player who was a factor for this game. He finished the game shooting 57.1% from the floor and recorded 1 assist. He was on the court for 32 minutes played and snagged 7 rebounds. He walked away with 21 points on 8 out of 14 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Betting Picks

UT Rio Grande will take the court with a win-loss mark of 18-13 this season. They are turning it over 11.7 times per game and as a team they are committing 17.9 personal fouls on a nightly basis. As a team, UT Rio Grande is pulling down 34.8 rebounds per game and is sitting with 513 assists so far this year, which is 57th in D-1 in terms of passing. The Vaqueros are hitting 37.2% on 3-point shots (288 of 774) and 75.6% from the charity stripe. They average 75.5 points per outing (186th in college hoops) while going 47.2% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Vaqueros are able to force 11.0 turnovers every game while drawing 15.6 fouls. They surrender 30.4% on three-point shots and they are 57th in D-1 in PPG from their opponents (69.1). The Vaqueros defense is giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 41.5% (732 of 1,764) and they relinquish 33.9 boards per contest as a team. They are ranked 201st in D-1 in allowing assists with 427 conceded this season.

In their last game, the McNeese Cowboys went home victorious with a score of 75-65 when they played Nicholls State. The Cowboys pulled down 16 defensive rebounds and 6 offensive boards for a total of 22 in this game. They also gave up possession 5 times, while getting 12 steals in the game. Nicholls State was called for 18 fouls for the contest which took the Cowboys to the free throw line for a total of 28 shots. They were able to bury 24 of the free throws for a percentage of 85.7%. In the matter of shots from beyond the perimeter, McNeese buried 5 out of 24 attempts (20.8%). When the final whistle blew, the Cowboys ended up shooting 23 out of 54 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 42.6%. The Cowboys permitted Nicholls State to bury 18 out of their 55 attempts from the field which gave them a rate of 32.7% for the game. They went 29.0% from 3-point land by going 9 of 31 and finished the game at 20 out of 30 at the charity stripe (66.7%). In relation to how they cleaned up the glass, McNeese allowed Nicholls State to snag 37 in all (17 offensive).

Larry Johnson ended up having an impact for the Cowboys for the matchup. He tallied 25 points in his 34 minutes on the court, but wasn't able to tally an assist. He knocked down 7 out of 14 for the game giving him a rate of 50.0%, and totaled 6 rebounds.

McNeese has a record of 26-5 on the campaign. The Cowboys have committed 18.8 fouls per game and they shoot 75.5% from the free throw line. They are earning an assist 14.1 times per contest (160th in the nation) and they turn it over 9.5 times per contest. McNeese has accounted for 2,481 points on the season (80.0 per game) and they collect 34.7 boards per game. In terms of offensive execution, the Cowboys are shooting 47.0% from the floor, which has them ranked 75th in D-1.

The Cowboys on the defensive side of the court are 23rd in college in points given up per game with 66.3. They are forcing their opponents into 16.9 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 40.6% from the field (29th in the nation). The McNeese defense gives up 32.6% on shots from 3-point land (254 of 780) and their opponents are knocking down 71.9% of their free throw shots. They relinquish 12.1 assists and 33.6 boards every game, which is ranked 78th and 133rd in college hoops.

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.