Head coach of the McNeese Cowboys Will Wade faces off against his former team the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Wade has led McNeese to a renaissance under his command, orchestrating a 49-8 record over the past two years and leading the Cowboys to their second straight NCAA Tournament.
Clemson comes into the NCAA Tournament after having the team’s most successful tournament run since 1980. They will look to replicate last year’s success and hopefully take the next step and reach their first-ever Final Four.
Below, we will preview this NCAA Tournament college basketball game, giving the Clemson vs McNeese overview, trends and our expert pick! Which school will win and keep their hopes of winning the championship trophy alive?
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Clemson vs McNeese Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks
2025 NCAA Tournament
No. 5 Clemson Tigers (27-6) vs. No. 12 McNeese Cowboys (27-6)
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025
Time: 3:15 PM EST
Venue: Amica Mutual Pavilion — Providence, RI
Coverage: TruTV
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Clemson vs McNeese March Madness Odds
All college basketball betting odds for Clemson vs McNeese can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: CLEM: (-380) | MCN: (+290)
Point Spread: CLEM: -7.5 (-110) | MCN: +7.5 (-110)
Total: 135.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
KenPom Rankings | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
| Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
| Clemson | 18 | 118.7 (24) | 94.7 (16) | 64.2 (327) |
| McNeese | 84 | 114.3 (63) | 100.6 (66) | 65.3 (283) |
Clemson vs McNeese College Basketball Trends
- Clemson is 9-1 in their last 10 games.
- McNeese is currently on a 11-game winning streak.
- Clemson is 3-4 against tournament teams this season.
- McNeese is 0-3 against tournament teams this season.
- Clemson is 6-4 in their last 10 NCAA Tournament games.
- McNeese is 0-3 in their three NCAA Tournament games in school history.
Clemson vs McNeese Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks
Not many teams shoot the ball as well as the Clemson Tigers do. Clemson ranks 81st in field goal percentage, 32nd in three-point percentage and 36th in free throw percentage. Guard Chase Hunter leads the way for the Tigers as he averages over 16 points per game. The sixth-year senior has over 120 starts under his belt for Clemson and gives them a veteran presence every team needs to make a deep run in March.
While guard Alyn Breed leads the way for McNeese, averaging over 17 points per game, this team has far more scorers than just him. The Cowboys have five players who average in double figures which is part of the reason they have the 12th-best scoring margin in the NCAA (13.2 points). While questions can be asked about their conference’s competitiveness, the Cowboys have held their own in a road matchup against Alabama and a home matchup against Mississippi State earlier this year, losing both games by a combined 11 points.
McNeese was a popular upset pick last year as well before getting pummeled by the Gonzaga Bulldogs, 86-65. The Cowboys are much different than last year and are matched up against a Clemson team that played in a weak ACC conference and may not be ready for the intensity and swagger that Amir Khan and McNeese bring to the game.
For our Clemson vs McNeese prediction, we are picking the McNeese Cowboys to win and move on in the NCAA Tournament.
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