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The No. 4 seed Nicholls State Colonels will begin their 2023 Southland Conference Tournament bid when they face the No. 8 seed McNeese State Cowboys on Monday night. Nicholls State swept the regular-season series between these teams, winning by a combined 12 points in those games. McNeese State advanced to the second round with a 79-78 win over Texas A&M-Commerce on Sunday. 

Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. The Colonels are favored by 5.5 points in the latest McNeese State vs. Nicholls State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 145.5. Before entering any Nicholls State vs. McNeese State picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters conference tournament week 76-51 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,200 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns. 

Now, the model has set its sights on McNeese State vs. Nicholls State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for McNeese State vs. Nicholls State:

  • McNeese State vs. Nicholls State spread: Nicholls State -5.5
  • McNeese State vs. Nicholls State over/under: 145.5 points
  • McNeese State vs. Nicholls State money line: McNeese State +185, Nicholls State -225
  • McNeese State vs. Nicholls State picks: See picks here

Why Nicholls State can cover 

Nicholls State earned a first-round bye when it finished in fourth place in the Southland standings, winning consecutive games against Houston Christian and Lamar at the end of the regular season. The Colonels also won both meetings with McNeese State in January, winning by nine points at home and three points on the road. They went 6-3 in their final nine games, giving them momentum heading into the conference tournament. 

Senior guard Caleb Huffman leads Nicholls State with 16.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, while senior guard Latrell Jones is adding 14.6 points and 4.8 rebounds. McNeese State is coming off a high-scoring thriller on Sunday night, so it will be dealing with fatigue on Monday. The Cowboys also lost three of their final four games during the regular season. 

Why McNeese State can cover

McNeese State lost both regular-season meetings with Nicholls State, but it was not overvalued by the betting market in those games. The Cowboys were 9-point underdogs in their 9-point loss in the first meeting, and they covered the 4-point spread in the rematch two days later. Those losses were part of a nine-game skid, but they responded by winning four of their final seven games during the regular season. 

They kept their season alive with Sunday night's win against Nicholls State, as Christian Shumate poured in 28 points and Donovan Oday sealed the victory with two free throws in the final seconds. Shumate added 12 rebounds, while Zach Scott scored 18 points. Nicholls State has not played since last Wednesday, so the Colonels could be rusty to open this game. 

How to make Nicholls State vs. McNeese State picks

The model has simulated McNeese State vs. Nicholls State 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Nicholls State vs. McNeese State? And which side of the spread is hitting well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is 76-51 on its top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.