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Lamar vs. McNeese Prediction Today: Southland Conference Final Best Bets, Picks & Odds

Mike Spector

Last Updated: March 12, 2025 2:26 PM EDT • 4 min 22 sec read.

Lamar vs. McNeese Prediction Today: Southland Conference Final Best Bets, Picks & Odds
Pictured: McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade gives instructions to his players from the bench. Photo by Will McLelland via Imagn Images.

McNeese State is looking to sort out its second straight NCAA Tournament trip with a win over Lamar in the Southland Conference Tournament Final today. Tipoff from the Legacy Center in Lake Charles, La., is set for 5 p.m. ET (ESPN2).

Our Lamar vs. McNeese prediction, odds, and expert picks are based on the two regular season meetings between the Cardinals and the Cowboys. Our best sports betting sites list McNeese as a 12.5-point favorite to advance to the big dance.

The Cowboys won both regular season contests by scores of 75-64 and 68-66, will they punch their ticket to March Madness this evening?

💰 Lamar vs. McNeese predictions, expert picks & best bets: Southland Conference Final

Here are my best Lamar vs. McNeese predictions, expert picks, and best bets today for the Southland Conference Final with my pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale. Be sure to check out the rest of our college basketball picks along with our guide on how to bet on college basketball.

  • Against the spread pick: McNeese -12.5 (-118 via BetMGM) vs. Lamar ⭐⭐⭐
  • My best team prop bet: Lamar team total Under 57.5 points (+102 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
  • Exact score prediction: McNeese 73, Lamar 55 (+16000 via DraftKings) ⭐

👉 Check out our latest March Madness projections with our SBR Bracketology ahead of the NCAA Tournament!

🏀 Lamar vs. McNeese ATS prediction & best team prop bet pick

Here's why I'm betting on McNeese to cover the spread (-12.5) while targeting Lamar's team total Under 57.5 points as my best player prop bet pick for today:

✅ McNeese to cover the spread (-12.5) ⭐⭐⭐

McNeese dominated the Southland this year, winning 19 of its 20 conference games, and thus earning the right to play this conference championship on its home floor.

The Cowboys have won 23 straight conference home games. They have also gotten off to fast starts in those games, winning the first half in 24 of the last 26.

The Cowboys have the league’s top-ranked offense and defense in terms of adjusted efficiency, and Lamar shoots the worst percentage of any team inside the arc in league play (45.6%).

Several of our best sports betting sites are offering a spread between -13 and -13.5. Therefore, I'm taking advantage of the best number at BetMGM.

📊 Best odds: -118 via BetMGM (bet $10 to win $8.47)

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🔥 Lamar team total Under 57.5 points ⭐⭐⭐

Each of McNeese’s last 12 conference tournament games has finished with totals of 133-plus points. Thus, the full-game O/U being set at 130.5 (down from an opening number of 132.5) suggests the Cowboys will lock in on the defensive end tonight.

These two teams are the two best 3-point shooting teams in the conference. And Lamar made seven or more 3-pointers in each of the two regular-season meetings while shooting better than 37% from beyond the arc in both games. 

However, the Cardinals should see regression against a Cowboys defense that limited opponents to a league-best 29.2% in conference games this year.

Lamar barely eclipsed this total in a 58-55 grinder against Nicholls in the semifinals, and McNeese’s athleticism is worth looking at the alternate team total and investing in a plus-money wager at DraftKings.

📊 Best odds: +102 via DraftKings (bet $10 to win $10.20)

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🎯 Expert Lamar vs. McNeese score prediction

🔮 Expert score prediction: McNeese 73, Lamar 55

McNeese returned 41.4% of its minutes from a team that won its two conference tournament games by an average of 17.5 points last year. That’s why I’m predicting a final score of McNeese 73, Lamar 55.

📊 Best odds: +16000 via DraftKings (bet $10 to win $1600)

📊 Live Lamar vs. McNeese odds & latest betting splits

Here are the latest odds for Lamar vs. McNeese, which update live in real time. You can also check out our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool for the latest college basketball odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your region.

Betting returns in the hours leading up to tipoff have seen the public back Lamar against the 12.5-point spread. Further, the trends on today's total score have flipped, with an overwhelming majority now betting Over 132.5 after the Over/Under went down by one point.

🔢 Lamar vs. McNeese opening odds

Here's a look at the opening odds for Lamar vs. McNeese according to BetMGM.

  • Spread: Lamar +13.5 (-115) | McNeese -13.5 (-105)
  • Moneyline: Lamar +625 | McNeese -1000
  • Over/Under: Over 132.5 (-105) | Under 132.5 (-115)

🏆 Who will win Lamar vs. McNeese?

As of 2:30 p.m. ET, McNeese is favored by 12.5 points (-115) to beat Lamar with moneyline odds of -1100 at BetMGM, which suggests a 91.67% win probability for the Cowboys. We're predicting a 73-55 win for McNeese as our final score projection.

So far, 51% of bettors have wagered against the spread on Lamar +12.5, while 77% of bettors expect the game to finish Over the projected total of 132.5 points.

📺 How to watch Lamar vs. McNeese tonight

📅 Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2025
🕗 Time: 5 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Legacy Center (Lake Charles, La.)
📺 TV: ESPN2
💻 Streaming: ESPN+

❓ Lamar vs. McNeese FAQs

Who is favored to win Lamar vs. McNeese?

McNeese is a heavy moneyline favorite to beat Lamar. The Cowboys are trading at -1100 at our best sports betting apps, giving them a 91.67% implied probability to win the Southland Conference Tournament tonight.

What are the betting odds for Lamar vs. McNeese?

The latest spread is McNeese -12.5 (-115) | Lamar +12.5 (-105), with a total of 132.5 points (-110).

What will be the final score of Lamar vs. McNeese?

We're predicting a final score of McNeese 73, Lamar 55 entering today’s matchup at the Legacy Center.

What time is Lamar vs. McNeese tonight?

Tipoff for Lamar vs. McNeese is slated for tonight at 5 p.m. ET.

⛹️ Best college basketball betting sites

Looking to bet on college basketball tonight? Here are our best March Madness betting sites as determined by our expert team at Sportsbook Review, along with our best March Madness betting promos ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

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Written By:
Mike Spector
Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”