Purdue vs McNeese Prediction, Preview & Odds: NCAA Tournament Second Round

Originally posted on College Football News
By Pete Fiutak | Last updated Mar 20, 2025 9:00 PM ET

Clemson didn’t get the wakeup call from the hotel and didn’t appear to have any interest in playing basketball against McNeese on Thursday.

The Cowboys were rolling, they were terrific, and they held on for dear life in the 69-67 win.

Purdue was sputtering a coughing a bit against High Point, and then it remembered it was a Big Ten team and pulled away in a 75-63 victory.

Both teams will bring the energy with the winner dealing with Houston or Gonzaga in the Sweet 16.

Purdue vs McNeese Game Preview

Purdue vs McNeese How To Watch

Date: Saturday, March 22
Venue: Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI
Time: Coming
TV: Coming
Teams: (12) McNeese (28-6), (4) Purdue (23-11)
Region: Midwest
NCAA Tournament Schedule, Predictions, Previews

Why McNeese Will Win

Besides Clemson being comatose for the first 25ish minutes, how did McNeese pull it off? It kept attack the interior over and over and over.

It was the far more active team on the boards with 18 offensive rebounds, and it never let up.

For those unfamiliar with this year’s Purdue team, it’s able to bang away on the inside, but it’s far, far different without Zach Edey dominating defensively.

The Cowboys will keep driving, and they’ll get to every loose ball. The Boilermakers are 313th in the nation in rebounds, and …

Why Purdue Will Win

Stuff got real for McNeese late against Clemson.

Once it finally settled in, it was hitting the threes, was far more active, and after scoring 13 points in the first half it put up 54 in the second.

Purdue won’t panic.

It’s a good three-point shooting team that managed to come up with one of its best performances of the year on the boards in the win over High Point.

This might be a smallish bunch compared to what it normally brings, but that’s actually a bit of a negative here for McNeese.

The Boilermakers will match the Cowboys when it comes to quickness and scrapping in big moments.

Purdue vs McNeese: Who Will Win?

McNeese is the real deal.

It pushed Alabama early in the season, gave Mississippi State a nightmare of a time, and it more than proved how good it is with that performance over Clemson.

McNeese is 12-0 when hitting ten threes and 16-2 when coming up with more than seven. Purdue’s three point defense will come through with a strong performance to move on.

Purdue vs McNeese Prediction, Betting Lines

Prediction: Purdue 76, McNeese 69
Purdue vs McNeese Betting Lines
BetMGM Line: Purdue -6.5, o/u: 143.5
DraftKings Line: Purdue -6.5, 142.5
FanDuel Line: Purdue -6.5, o/u: 143.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5

First Look Quick Analysis, Predictions
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This article first appeared on College Football News and was syndicated with permission.

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