New Orleans vs McNeese State Odds and Picks (Jan. 6)

• New Orleans is a 1.5-point favorite over McNeese State on Thursday in the Southland Tip-Off Event
• The game will be played on a neutral court at Katy, Texas
• A look at the odds and matchup can be found below with a prediction

Two teams coming off blowout wins against non-Division I foes square off in their conference opener as New Orleans meets McNeese State at 2:30 p.m. ET Thursday at the Southland Tip-Off Event at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas.

New Orleans (4-7) ended a three-game losing streak by routing Bellhaven 94-54 last Friday. A day earlier, McNeese State (4-9) thumped Ecclesia 115-66 to snap a six-game skid.

New Orleans is a slight favorite in a game that will be shown on ESPN+.

New Orleans vs McNeese State Odds

Odds as of January 5th at BetMGM.

New Orleans Outlook

Senior guard Derek St. Hilaire is making a strong case for all-Southland Conference honors.

St. Hilaire is averaging 18.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals. He is also shooting 37.3% on three-pointers and 82.1% from the free throw line.

😧😧😧

Reigning Southland 🏀 Player of the Week Derek St. Hilaire hits one from the logo to beat the shot clock❗️ #SouthlandStrong #NOLAsTeam pic.twitter.com/5DZXkcGtG6

— Southland Conference (@SouthlandSports) December 1, 2021

Against Bellhaven, St. Hilaire was part of a balanced scoring effort as the Privateers emptied their bench earlier. St. Hilaire, sophomore forward Tyson Jackson — a transfer from Middle Tennessee State — and freshman D’Ante Bell tied for the team lead with 11 points.

It was Bell’s first game scoring in double figures as he helped New Orleans shoot 55.9% (38 of 68) from the field and 56.5% (13 of 23) from three-point range while holding a 43-30 rebounding edge and forcing 29 turnovers.

Senior guard Troy Green turned in a fine all-round performance with 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists. His season averages are 12.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.0 steals.

On an island🏝️ all by himself! Congratulations to Senior Troy Green for officially breaking the #PrivateersMBB all-time games played record today at 1⃣2⃣9⃣ #NOLAsTeam⚔️ pic.twitter.com/HFXVEDhBRA

— #NOLAsTeam⚔️ (@UNOPrivateers) December 31, 2021

Junior forward Simeon Kirkland has been a significant contributor following his transfer from UAB with 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds a game.

New Orleans is 4-0 when they it scores 78 or more points but 0-7 when it doesn’t.

McNeese State Outlook

McNeese State is one of the fastest-playing teams in the nation as its 76.6 offensive possessions a game ranks fourth in Division I.

The Cowboys used the game against Ecclesia to pad some statistics as three players scored at least 20 points and established season highs.

Senior forward Myles Lewis had his second double-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals. Lewis is averaging a team-high 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in his first season since transferring from VMI.

MYLES LEWIS COAST 2 COAST AND ONE 🌊🌊 pic.twitter.com/KYYae06Bnh

— McNeese Men’s Basketball (@McNeeseMBB) December 2, 2021

Freshman forward Christian Shumate had 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The Tulsa transfer is scoring 9.2 points and pulling down 6.1 rebounds a game.

Senior forward Kellon Taylor had 20 points and 13 rebounds. It was the first double-double of the season for the Albany transfer.

Junior guard Zach Scott scored 13 points for his second straight double-digit game after scoring 10 or more just twice in the first 11 games.

Junior guard Harvin Francois chipped in with a season-high 12 points and seven rebounds while sophomore guard Colin Warren added 11 points.

It was an overwhelming performance for McNeese State, which held a whopping a 58-33 rebounding advantage while Ecclesia committed 27 turnovers. The Cowboys shot 50.6% (42 of 83).

That helped prime the Cowboys for the conference opener.

2️⃣4️⃣ hours away from the opening game of the Southland 🏀 Tip-Off‼️ #SouthlandStrong pic.twitter.com/JbMC8JS1Cq

— Southland Conference (@SouthlandSports) January 5, 2022

Junior center Brendan Medley-Bacon is questionable for Thursday after sitting out against Ecclesia while in COVID-19 health and safety protocols. He is averaging 10.0 points and 6.3 rebounds following his transfer from VCU.

McNeese State is 4-0 when it allows less than 74 points and winless in its other nine games.

New Orleans vs McNeese State Outlook

New Orleans has won its last two meetings against McNeese State and eight of its last nine, including 99-84 at home last Jan. 16.

St. Hilaire scored 33 points in 33 minutes off the bench for the Privateers and Green added 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. Warren had 10 points for McNeese State.

While both teams are struggling, it should be a close game. Let’s take the points.

The Pick: McNeese State +1.5 (-115)