McNeese vs. Vanderbilt odds, prediction: 2026 NCAA Tournament picks from proven model

The 12th-seeded McNeese Cowboys look to stay hot when they take on the fifth-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores in the first round of the NCAA Tournament South Region on Thursday. McNeese is coming off a 76-59 win over Stephen F. Austin in the Southland Conference Tournament championship game on Wednesday, while Vanderbilt dropped an 86-75 decision to Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference Tournament title game on Sunday. The Cowboys (28-5), who have won 10 in a row, finished second in the Southland during the regular season with a 19-3 conference mark. The Commodores (26-8), who have won four of five, tied for fourth in the SEC regular-season standings with an 11-7 record.

Tip-off from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, is set for 3:15 p.m. ET. This will be the first meeting between the schools. Vanderbilt is an 11.5-point favorite in the latest McNeese vs. Vanderbilt odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 150.5. 

Before making any McNeese vs. Vanderbilt picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the 2026 NCAA Tournament on a sizzling 11-1 run on top-ranked over/under picks dating back to last year, and is on a 28-22 run on top-rated CBB side picks. Anyone following could have seen HUGE returns!

The model has simulated McNeese vs. Vanderbilt 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is going Over on the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time!

So who wins McNeese vs. Vanderbilt, and which side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time? Join SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has simulated this matchup 10,000 times!