McNeeese State vs. Clemson Prediction, Betting Pick, Latest NCAA Tournament Odds for March Madness First Round
The Clemson Tigers and McNeese State Cowboys will go to battle on Thursday afternoon in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. Can Chase Hunter and the Tigers outlast the feisty Cowboys and start another long March Madness run? Christian Odjakjian is backing the experience of the Tigers in his McNeese State vs. Clemson betting pick for Thursday, March 20th.
Christian Odjakjian - March 20, 2025, 8:30 AM EDT
5 minMcNeeese State vs. Clemson Prediction, Betting Pick, Latest NCAA Tournament Odds for March Madness First Round
The No. 5 seed Clemson Tigers take on No 12 McNeese Cowboys Thursday afternoon in Providence Rhode Island.
Clemson shocked the college basketball world last March, winning three straight games as underdogs to make the Elite Eight before ultimately falling to Alabama. McNeese, on the other hand, was a trendy 12-seed upset pick against Gonzaga but was completely outclassed, losing by 21.
Both teams built on last year’s success. Clemson put together a 27-6 record, running through the ACC and even picking up an impressive win over Duke. McNeese dominated its league, going 19-1, and proved its toughness in non-conference play, battling Alabama (lost by 8) and Mississippi State (lost by 3).
Clemson is great on both ends, ranking 24th in offensive efficiency and 16th in defensive efficiency per KenPom. This is an experienced group, the 8th-oldest team in the country, led by veterans Chase Hunter and Jaeden Zackery in the backcourt, alongside Ian Schieffelin and Viktor Lakhin in the frontcourt. Losing Chase's brother Dillon Hunter to injury in the ACC Tournament is a big loss, but not one that I Brad Brownell's group can't overcome.
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McNeeese State vs. Clemson Odds
McNeeese State vs. Clemson Date, Time, and Where To Watch
- Date: March 20, 2025
- Time: 3:15 pm ET
- Where To Watch: TruTV
Click here for latest McNeese State vs. Clemson Odds
McNeeese State vs. Clemson Prediction
I think McNeese is going to struggle big time stopping Clemson’s frontcourt duo. Schieffelin and Lakhin are big, strong, and tough, while McNeese’s bigs, Joe Charles and Christian Shumate, are athletic but much smaller. To compensate for this mismatch, Will Wade’s team scrambles and doubles aggressively, trying to force turnovers.
Fortunately for Clemson, their bigs are fantastic passers, and I trust them to find Hunter, Zackery, Chauncey Wiggins, and Jake Heidbreder for open catch-and-shoot threes to punish McNeese’s aggressive defense.
On the other end of the floor, Clemson does an excellent job of defending without fouling (46th nationally in opponent free throw rate), which is crucial against a McNeese team that thrives on unscripted, downhill basketball. Last year's Cowboys were a much better three-point shooting team (39% vs 35%), much better at taking care of the ball (18th to 115th in TO%), AND had a much better player in 6-0 dynamo Shahada Wells.
Bottom line: McNeese is once again facing a veteran team that moves the ball well, has dominant interior scorers, and is surrounded by capable three-point shooting. McNeese's offensive and defensive success rely on using their athleticism and aggressiveness to overwhelm you, and I don't think that's going to work against a balanced, veteran, half court power conference team like Clemson.
McNeeese State vs. Clemson Pick
- Pick: Clemson -7.5 (-110) Get oddschecker+ right now for just $0.99 per month. Don't miss out on this first month deal!
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