In his second season at McNeese, head coach Will Wade has the Cowboys dancing. No. 12 McNeese will face off with No. 5 Clemson at 3:15 p.m. ET on Thursday afternoon. In Brad Brownell’s 15th season at the helm, he leads the Tigers to their second straight NCAA tournament after an Elite Eight appearance last year. Clemson hasn’t won one or more games in consecutive seasons since 1988-89.
Here is my pick for Thursday’s matchup between Clemson vs. McNeese on Thursday, March 20, in the Round of 64.
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Clemson vs. McNeese (3:15 p.m. ET)
Clemson had a successful regular season, going 27-6 and finishing second in the ACC. The Tigers had gone 15-2 in their previous 17 games. Sixth-year guard Chase Hunter is Clemson’s leading scorer, averaging 16.4 points per game while shooting 41.2 percent on three-pointers. Clemson lost to Louisville 76-73 in the Semifinal of the ACC tournament.
McNeese has had a tremendous season, winning the Southland Conference. The Cowboys have an identical record (27-6) as Clemson. McNeese started the season 1-2 and 4-4 but quickly bounced back. They have won 22 of their previous 23 games and haven’t lost since February 1. McNeese has four players who average 10 or more points. Senior Guard Javohn Garcia leads the way, scoring 12.9 points per contest.
On paper, these teams match up very closely. The best value play in this contest is to get McNeese to cover the spread at +7.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook. Four of McNeese’s six losses this season have come by seven or fewer points. Also, three of the Cowboys’ last four defeats were under this spread.
College Basketball Pick: McNeese +7.5
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