Southeastern Louisiana Lions vs McNeese State Cowboys NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/30/24

Betting on today’s Lions and Cowboys game? Catch the action at The Legacy Center in Lake Charles, LA, as the Cowboys hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. This Southland conference matchup has an over/under of 134.5 points, and McNeese State is favored to win by -16.5 at home vs. Southeastern Louisiana.

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA LIONS VS MCNEESE STATE COWBOYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Southeastern Louisiana Lions +16.5

This game will be played at The Legacy Center at 7:00 ET on Monday, December 30th.

WHY BET THE SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA LIONS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-71 in favor of the Cowboys.
• Even though we have McNeese State winning straight-up, we like Southeastern Louisiana at +16.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 134.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 148 points.

Can the Lions Pull Off a Win at Lake Charles?

Southeastern Louisiana improved to 4-6 on the season with a 75-65 road win over Grambling State on Monday. The Lions entered the game as +3 underdogs but not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.

After leading 40-29 at halftime, Southeastern Louisiana scored 35 points in the 2nd half while allowing 36. The game’s total points of 140 exceeded the O/U line of 134.5.

Southeastern Louisiana’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, shooting 56.2% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 64.6%. They connected on 67.9% of their two-point attempts and hit 40% from beyond the arc, with 8 threes made.

Sam Hines Jr. led the way with 19 points, shooting 66.7% from the field, while Kam Burton added 18 points, hitting 6 threes at a 60% clip. Jakevion Buckley contributed 13 points and 8 rebounds, dishing out a team-high 7 assists.

Even though Southeastern Louisiana allowed 65 points, they gave up a 46% shooting performance, with the opposing team hitting 23 of 50 shots. From inside the arc, the Lions allowed 16 of 34 shots to fall, a 47% success rate.

The Lions also struggled to contain the three-point line, where their opponent shot 43%, making 7 of 16 attempts. Southeastern Louisiana sent the other team to the free-throw line 16 times, where they converted 12 free throws, shooting 75%. On the glass, the Lions limited offensive rebounds, giving up just 1.

Pressure Builds for McNeese State as Home Favorites

McNeese State evened their season record at 5-5 with an 86-61 win over New Orleans on Saturday. Playing at home, the Cowboys were -24 point favorites and covered the spread. The total points for the game ended at 147, just over the 144.5 O/U line.

McNeese State dominated the first half, leading 46-23 at the break. However, in the second half, they allowed New Orleans to score 38 points while putting up 40 points themselves.

McNeese State put up 86 points in their last game, shooting 48.5% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 57.6%, with strong two-point shooting at 60% (21/35). They also hit 84.6% of their free throws, going 11/13 from the line.

DJ Richards Jr. led the way with 21 points, hitting 7 threes at a 46.7% clip. James White added 20 points and 10 rebounds, though he struggled from deep, shooting just 25% (2/8). Quadir Copeland dished out 10 assists, and the Cowboys grabbed 14 offensive rebounds as a team.

Despite giving up 61 points, McNeese State’s defense allowed the opposition to shoot 48% from the field, including 60% on two-point attempts. The Cowboys also gave up 11 threes on 31 attempts, a 35% shooting rate from beyond the arc.

From the free-throw line, the opposing team went 11/13, hitting 84% of their foul shots. McNeese State also allowed 14 offensive rebounds in the game.