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Opening Odds for Vanderbilt Commodores vs. McNeese Cowboys in March Madness 2026 First Round

Opening Odds for Vanderbilt Commodores vs. McNeese Cowboys in March Madness 2026 First Round

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By: Brendan O'Sullivan

Vanderbilt earned a No. 5 seed in the South Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and it’ll face No. 12 McNeese in the first round. The Commodores are 11.5-point favorites, while the Cowboys are +470 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 150.5 points.

Vanderbilt vs. McNeese opening odds

If you paid any attention to last year’s March Madness, you likely saw McNeese aura farm its way to the Round of 32. The same student manager is back and is continuing the walkout tradition. The Cowboys won their third straight conference tournament, thus making the Big Dance three years in a row. This is a team that’s lost five times this season and just twice in 2026.

Vanderbilt fell short of the SEC title in the championship game against Arkansas. It was a much closer matchup than the 86-75 score indicates. Despite the loss, the Commodores enter March Madness having beaten ranked Tennessee twice and No. 4 Florida in the past four games. The backcourt of Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles is one of the best in the tourney as shown in the conference tournament.

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