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

An opening-round NCAA Tournament matchup will see the No. 5-seed Clemson Tigers (27-6) play against the No. 12 seed McNeese Cowboys (27-6) on Thursday at Amica Mutual Pavilion. The contest starts at 3:15 p.m. ET, on truTV.

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

Clemson vs. McNeese Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Thursday, March 20, 2025
• Game time: 3:15 p.m. ET
• TV channel: truTV
• Location: Providence, Rhode Island
• Arena: Amica Mutual Pavilion

Clemson vs. McNeese Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: Clemson win (62.8%)

Before placing a wager on Thursday's Clemson-McNeese spread (Clemson -7.5) or over/under (133.5 points), take a look at the betting trends and insights below.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

Clemson vs. McNeese: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Clemson has put together a 20-12-0 ATS record so far this year.
• McNeese has covered 15 times in 30 games with a spread this season.
• McNeese covers the spread when it is a 7.5-point underdog or more 100% of the time. That's more often than Clemson covers as a favorite of 7.5 or more (53.3%).
• The Tigers have done a better job covering the spread in away games (8-4-0) than they have at home (10-7-0).
• In 2024-25 against the spread, the Cowboys have a better winning percentage at home (.545, 6-5-0 record) than on the road (.500, 6-6-0).

Clemson vs. McNeese: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Clemson has been chosen as the moneyline favorite in 25 games this year and has walked away with the win 21 times (84%) in those games.
• This season, the Tigers have come away with a win 12 times in 13 chances when named as a favorite of at least -391 or shorter on the moneyline.
• McNeese has been the moneyline underdog just two other times so far this season, and it lost both games.
• The Cowboys have played as a moneyline underdog of +310 or longer in only two games this season, which they lost both.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies Clemson has a 79.6% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.

Clemson vs. McNeese Head-to-Head Comparison

• Clemson is outscoring opponents by 10.6 points per game with a +352 scoring differential overall. It puts up 76.3 points per game (110th in college basketball) and gives up 65.7 per contest (26th in college basketball).
• Chase Hunter's team-leading 16.4 points per game ranks 157th in the country.
• McNeese has a +436 scoring differential, topping opponents by 13.2 points per game. It is putting up 77.2 points per game, 88th in college basketball, and is giving up 64.0 per contest to rank 15th in college basketball.
• Javohn Garcia paces McNeese, recording 13.3 points per game (481st in college basketball).
• The Tigers win the rebound battle by 2.9 boards on average. They collect 32.4 rebounds per game, which ranks 154th in college basketball, while their opponents pull down 29.5 per contest.
• Ian Schieffelin averages 9.4 rebounds per game (ranking 18th in college basketball) to lead the Tigers.
• The Cowboys come out on top in the rebound battle by an average of 4.1 boards. They are collecting 33.5 rebounds per game (87th in college basketball) compared to their opponents' 29.4.
• Joe Charles' 7.1 rebounds per game lead the Cowboys and rank 160th in college basketball.
• Clemson scores 101.4 points per 100 possessions (50th in college basketball), while allowing 87.2 points per 100 possessions (34th in college basketball).
• The Cowboys' 102.5 points per 100 possessions on offense rank 37th in college basketball, and the 85.0 points they concede per 100 possessions rank 14th in college basketball.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!