Vanderbilt vs McNeese College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for NCAA Tournament First Round

The No. 5 seed Vanderbilt Commodores (26-8) and the No. 12 seed McNeese Cowboys (28-5) will meet on Thursday at 3:15 p.m. ET in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The contest airs on truTV.

Before you place your bet on this matchup at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the NCAA basketball odds and spreads you need to know.

Vanderbilt vs. McNeese Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Thursday, March 19, 2026
• Game time: 3:15 p.m. ET
• TV channel: truTV
• Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Arena: Paycom Center

Vanderbilt vs. McNeese Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: Vanderbilt win (68.6%)

Before you wager on Thursday's Vanderbilt-McNeese spread (Vanderbilt -12.5) or over/under (149.5 points), see the betting insights and trends below.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

Vanderbilt vs. McNeese: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Vanderbilt has put together an 18-16-0 record against the spread this season.
• McNeese has won 14 games against the spread this year, while failing to cover 17 times.
• Vanderbilt covers the spread when it is a 12.5-point favorite or more 37.5% of the time. That's more often than McNeese covers as an underdog of 12.5 or more (never covered this season).
• The Commodores have an identical winning percentage against the spread at home (.500) as they do in away games.
• In 2025-26 against the spread, the Cowboys have a better winning percentage at home (.538, 7-6-0 record) than on the road (.214, 3-11-0).

Vanderbilt vs. McNeese: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Vanderbilt has come away with 18 wins in the 23 contests it has been listed as the moneyline favorite in this season.
• This season, the Commodores have been victorious four times in five chances when named as a favorite of at least -877 or better on the moneyline.
• McNeese has won 33.3% of the games this season it was the underdog on the moneyline (1-2).
• The Cowboys have played as a moneyline underdog of +580 or longer in only one game this season, which they lost.
• Vanderbilt has an implied victory probability of 89.8% according to the moneyline set by oddsmakers for this matchup.

Vanderbilt vs. McNeese Head-to-Head Comparison

• Vanderbilt scored 78.9 points per game and gave up 74.3 last season, ranking them 55th in college basketball offensively and 249th on defense.
• With 31.2 rebounds per game and 31.9 rebounds allowed, Vanderbilt was 221st and 226th in the nation, respectively, last year.
• Vanderbilt was 158th in the nation in assists (13.8 per game) last season.
• Last year, Vanderbilt was 40th in college basketball in turnovers committed (9.6 per game) and 40th in turnovers forced (13.4).
• McNeese put up 76.6 points per game last year (101st-ranked in college basketball), but it really shined on defense, giving up only 64.5 points per contest (16th-best).
• With 33.3 rebounds per game, McNeese was 96th in college basketball. It gave up 29.7 rebounds per contest, which ranked 82nd in college basketball.
• Last season McNeese ranked 141st in college basketball in assists, delivering 14 per game.
• McNeese ranked 87th in the country with 10.2 turnovers per game last season. Meanwhile, it ranked 40th with 13.4 forced turnovers per game.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!