| MATCHUP | UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros | McNeese State Cowboys |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 19-13 | 26-5 |
| Spread | +7.5 -102 | -7.5 -118 |
| Moneyline | +310 | -395 |
| Total | Over 139.5 (-112) | Under 139.5 (-108) |
| Where | Townsley Law Arena, Lake Charles, LA | |
| When | Tuesday, March 10, 2026 | |
| Time | 09:30 PM EDT | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
In this article, we will formulate a UT Rio Grande Valley vs McNeese Prediction for this Southland Tournament Semifinal on Tuesday, March 10th. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this college basketball matchup.
McNeese Cowboys Preview
The McNeese Cowboys have a 26-5 overall record and a 19-3 record in the Southland conference. They are coming off a 75-65 road win against Nicholls and their previous three games were a 66-63 road win against New Orleans, a 75-68 home win against UT Rio Grande Valley and a 70-54 home win against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Offensively, McNeese averages 80 points per game, while allowing 66.3 points per game defensively. The Cowboys shoot with 47% from the field and grab 34.7 rebounds per game, while dishing out 14.1 assists per game. They average 4.3 blocks per game and 10.4 steals per game defensively.
Larry Johnson leads McNeese in scoring, with an average of 17.2 points per game, while shooting with 51.1% from the field and 78.7% from the free throw line, adding a team-high 5.3 rebounds. Garwey Dual leads the team in assists with 4.1 per game.
UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros Preview
The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros have a 19-13 overall record and a 14-8 record in the Southland conference. They are coming off an 86-68 home win against Nicholls and their previous three games were a 74-62 home win against Northwestern State, a 63-55 home win against East Texas A&M and a 75-68 road loss against McNeese.
Offensively, UT Rio Grande Valley averages 75.5 points per game, while allowing 69 points per game defensively. The Vaqueros shoot with 47% from the field and grab 34.8 rebounds per game, while dishing out 16.5 assists per game. They average 2.8 blocks per game and 6 steals per game defensively.
Koree Cotton leads UT Rio Grande Valley in scoring, with an average of 13.6 points per game, while shooting with 47.1% from the field and 78.2% from the free throw line, adding a team-high 5.1 rebounds. Jaylen Washington leads the team in assists with 4.2 per game.
Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros @ McNeese State Cowboys Betting Trends: March 10, 2026
Why the McNeese State Cowboys will win
- McNeese State has won each of its last 35 home games against Conference opponents.
- Texas–Rio Grande Valley has lost four of its last five away games when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- McNeese State has won the first half in each of its last seven games.
Why the Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros will win
- Texas–Rio Grande Valley has won seven of its last eight night games.
- Texas–Rio Grande Valley has won the first half in seven of its last eight night games.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Texas–Rio Grande Valley’s last five road games have produced a total of 143+ points.
- Each of the last four games between Texas–Rio Grande Valley and McNeese State have produced a total of 143+ points.
Matchup/League Facts
- McNeese State ranks 1st among Division 1 teams for opponent steals per game this season (4.4).
- McNeese State ranks 2nd among Division 1 teams for steals per game this season (10.4).
- Texas–Rio Grande Valley ranks 25th among Division 1 teams for opponent three-point percentage this season (30.4%).
- Texas–Rio Grande Valley ranks 41st among Division 1 teams for effective field goal percentage this season (55.3%).
UT Rio Grande Valley vs McNeese Prediction
In this UT Rio Grande Valley vs McNeese Prediction, McNeese is coming as -7.5 favorites. McNeese has been the better team this season but UT Rio Grande Valley has been better against the spread. Both teams are coming into this matchup red-hot, as they are 8-0 and 8-2 in their last 8 and 10 games respectively, but UT Rio Grande Valley is 7-3 ATS while McNeese is 3-7 ATS. UT Rio Grande Valley has also covered the spread in both of its regular season meetings against McNeese and I expect them to keep this one close as well. Take UT Rio Grande Valley and get the +7.5 points.