| MATCHUP | Lamar Cardinals | McNeese State Cowboys |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 7-6 | 10-3 |
| Where | Townsley Law Arena, Lake Charles, LA | |
| When | Friday, January 2, 2026 | |
| Time | 07:00 PM EST | |
| TV | CBSSN | |
The Lamar Cardinals and the McNeese State Cowboys meet Friday in college basketball action from Townsley Law Arena in Lake Charles. Here’s a Lamar vs McNeese prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Lamar vs McNeese pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.
Lamar Cardinals Betting Preview
The Cardinals started out the year on a solid 5-2 run, taking wins over Texas A&M-San Antonio, LA-Monroe, Montana, Our Lady of the Lake and Louisiana alongside losses to TCU and Oakland. After losing to Texas A&M-CC, San Diego State, Texas-Rio Grande Valley and Omaha, Lamar took a win over Northwestern State to improve their record to 6-6 overall through 12 games.
On Wednesday versus East Texas A&M, Lamar was down 34-25 by the start of the second half. The Cardinals woke up from there on a 44-28 run and took the win in the end 69-62 in comeback fashion. Leading the team in scoring was Andrew Holifield with 16 points and five rebounds. King-Nijhsanni Whilhite added 15 points with four boards and four assists.
McNeese State Cowboys Betting Preview
Over on the McNeese State side, they opened the year at 6-1 with wins over Champion Christian, College of Biblical Studies, Louisiana, George Washington, Murray State and Middle Tennessee (with a loss to Santa Clara). After a loss to Incarnate Word came wins over Northwestern State, Rhode Island, East Texas A&M and Houston Christian before a loss to Michigan. That gives the Cowboys a 10-3 record so far this year.
In the Michigan game on Monday the Cowboys entered the second half trailing 60-29. The 52-42 deficit from there didn’t improve McNeese State’s fortunes any, and they ended up losing 112-71 in the end. Garwey Dual led the way on 15 points with five rebounds and Larry Johnson had 14 points with seven boards. Tyshawn Archie chipped in 12 points as well.
Lamar Cardinals @ McNeese State Cowboys Betting Trends: January 2, 2026
Why the McNeese State Cowboys will win
- McNeese State has won each of its last 26 home games against the Southland Conference.
- Lamar has lost four of its last five night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Lamar has lost the first half in seven of its last eight games at Townsley Law Arena against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Why the Lamar Cardinals will win
- The road team has won five of Lamar’s last six games.
Lamar vs McNeese Prediction
I’ll stay with McNeese. This is a good opportunity for the Cowboys to get back on track after falling versus a talented Michigan squad. McNeese shot just 29.5 percent from the field in that one with a 53-28 rebounding deficit and a 54-20 disadvantage on points in the paint. The Cowboys have still been scoring well however; they’ve hit 71 or more points in four of the last five games (a 4-1 run).
As for Lamar, they started a bit slowly in their win over East Texas A&M but everything worked out well in the end. The Cards shot just 40.6 percent from the field but also had a 37-29 advantage on the boards with just nine turnovers. Lamar has a nice 69 or more points in five straight games (a 2-3 run) but they’re giving up a lot on the other side as well.