McNeese State had to sweat it out, but they held on to defeat No. 5 Clemson in Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament to continue the time-honored tradition of a No. 12 seed advancing to the second round.
The Cowboys held the Tigers to just 13 first-half points en route to a 69-67 victory, earning the school its first-ever NCAA Tournament win.
The job only gets tougher from here for the Cowboys. They’re a 6.5-point underdog against No. 4 Purdue on Saturday.
Should bettors go back to the well with the feel-good Cowboys? We answer that question and provide an exclusive bonus code from BetMGM Sportsbook below.
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McNeese State vs. Purdue prediction
A lot of pundits and bracket players had Purdue on upset watch ahead of the Boilermakers’ clash with High Point.
And while it took a little while for Purdue to get separation in that encounter, the result was a sweat-free, 75-63, victory.
The Boilermakers will be thrilled to see Clemson out of their way, but they should take McNeese State seriously.
McNeese State is ranked as the 59th-best team in the country per KenPom and 62nd according to BartTorvik’s model. That is ways behind Purdue, which sits 18th in both models, but also means that the Cowboys absolutely have the ability to make it two upsets in a row.
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McNeese State vs. Purdue pick
Another reason to believe that McNeese State has a chance to stick with Purdue is that the Cowboys should be comfortable playing at Purdue’s preferred pace.
The Boilermakers rank 303rd in adjusted tempo, per KenPom, just a touch faster than McNeese State, who sit 283rd in the same metric.
A slow, methodical game is always good news for backing the underdog because it means possessions should be limited, curbing the favorite’s ability to run away with a game.
While it’s hard to imagine the Cowboys putting in a repeat shift and dominating the first half against Purdue like they did against Clemson, this won’t be a walkover for the Boilermakers.
The Pick: McNeese State +6.5 (BetMGM)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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