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The McNeese Cowboys take on the UAB Blazers in Rock Hill, SC. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. ET on YouTube.
McNeese is favored by 4.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -172. The total is set at 149.5 points.
Here’s my McNeese vs. UAB prediction and college basketball picks for November 2, 2026.
McNeese vs UAB Prediction
Pick: McNeese -4 or Better
My McNeese vs UAB best bet is on the Cowboys to cover the spread. Be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page and download the Action Network app for the latest picks and analysis.
McNeese vs UAB Odds
| McNeese Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -102 | 149.5 -110o / -110u | -172 |
| UAB Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -120 | 149.5 -110o / -110u | +142 |
- McNeese vs UAB spread: McNeese -4.5 (-102), UAB +4.5 (-120)
- McNeese vs UAB over/under: 149.5 (-110o / -110u)
- McNeese vs UAB moneyline: McNeese -172, UAB +142
McNeese vs UAB College Basketball Preview
McNeese Basketball
McNeese State has made the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons and is a heavy favorite to win the Southland and make a fourth.
This Cowboys team has a lower preseason KenPom ranking than the last two years. Can they finish inside the top-100?
The heart and soul of this McNeese team is Larry Johnson, last season's leading scorer who spurned high-major interest to run it back in Lake Charles. He averaged 17 points a season ago and will hope Elijah “Choppa” Moore can be his backcourt running mate.
Moore spent last year at Utah and began his career at Syracuse. He’ll start and deal with the ball-handling.
One added element to this year's McNeese squad is shooting one through five. The additions of Christian Nitu at the four and Alier Maluk at the five gives McNeese more offensive versatility.
Last season, McNeese made up for poor shooting (31% from 3) by forcing turnovers at a 24.5% clip, the top mark in the country. We’ll see if that elite turnover-forcing ability carries into 2026, even with more versatility on the offensive end.
UAB Basketball
UAB has a very interesting roster build. Andy Kennedy went heavy on guards who can create their own shot and put up big scoring numbers.
On paper, it looks strong. The potential go-to guy is Justyn Fernandez, who averaged 16.6 points and shot 40% from 3 at Delaware last year. Also coming in is Elijah Duval, a dynamic athlete who averaged 15-4-3 for Southern Utah.
The last piece of the guard-scoring trifecta is Deuce Jones, who's the key to this Blazers team. He was a promising star in the A-10 at La Salle, then transferred to Saint Joe’s and got kicked off the team before conference play. Can he be a winning piece in Birmingham?
The bottom line is UAB has to shoot better than the 27% from 3 it put up last season, and it made the needed moves to make that happen.
The frontcourt is more of a question mark in 2026-27. The hope was for KyeRon Lindsay-Martin to be eligible, but that doesn’t look like it’s happening.
So, the Blazers have to rely on the trio of Matt Mbole, Antallah Sandlin-El and Jeremy Elyzee. Mbole and Sandlin-El can play the five, but both are JUCO players, so this is a real competition leap.
McNeese vs. UAB Pick, Betting Analysis
McNeese State enters as -3.5 favorites, which is a bit steeper than I initially thought, but I still like the Cowboys up to -4.
I think UAB will take time to mesh and I don’t want to trust a group of shot-happy guards and questionable bigs in game one against a really solid McNeese team.
Lay the points.
Pick: McNeese -4 or Better
