Vanderbilt Commodores at Kentucky Wildcats Betting Preview
SEC foes will square off Tuesday night as the Vanderbilt Commodores (11-9, 3-5 in SEC) take on the No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats (17-4, 6-2 in SEC). Kentucky will host this one at Rupp Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.
Vanderbilt snapped its three-game losing streak on Saturday as they beat Georgia 85-77 at home.
In the win, Scotty Pippen Jr. led the team with 23 points and nine assists. Jordan Wright (15), Rodney Chatman (12), and Myles Stute (11) also scored double digits in the victory.
As for Kentucky, they have also found some success after getting knocked off by No. 1 Auburn on the road. The Wildcats have since won back-to-back matchups, including an 80-62 road win over No. 10 Kansas on Saturday.
Keion Brooks Jr. was fantastic in the win, going for a game-high 27 points. Oscar Tshiebwe had a double-double as he posted 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Kentucky is the overwhelming favorite in this one. They are -2100 to win while the Commodores’ moneyline sits at +1000. The spread features Vanderbilt +16.5, and the over/under sits at 140.
More Odds
Kentucky has the sixth-best odds of winning the National Championship this season at +1400. The Commodores are +50000 to win it all.
By The Numbers
Offensively, Kentucky has had one of the best offenses in the country. They rank sixth in scoring as they are averaging 82.1 points per game (87.8 at home). The Commodores rank 221st, averaging 68.6 points (66 on the road).
On the defensive side, it is again Kentucky with the edge. They rank 41st in scoring defense, allowing opponents an average of 64.1 points per game. Vanderbilt has also been solid as they rank 49th, allowing opponents just 64.7 points per game.
Vanderbilt Hopes For Major Upset, Revenge
This will be the second time that the Commodores have taken on the Wildcats, as they lost at home to Kentucky 78-66 back on January 11. On Tuesday, they will hope to repay the favor by securing a major upset on the road.
Leading Vanderbilt in scoring is junior guard Scotty Pippen Jr. In 20 games, Pippen has averaged 18.6 points on 42.4% shooting. He is also averaging 3.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Forward Jordan Wright is the only other player averaging double digits for the Commodores. He is putting up 12.3 points per game, although he is shooting just 39.4% from the floor. Wright is also averaging 5.8 rebounds, two assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
Other contributors include Myles Stute (8.4 points, 3.3 rebounds) and Trey Thomas (6.5 points, 1.2 rebounds).
Kentucky Tries To Stay Perfect At Home
No. 5 Kentucky has been dominant all season. At 17-4, they have been a tough matchup all season, but they have been unbeatable at home. To date, they are 13-0 when playing at Rupp Arena this season.
Nothing shows Kentucky’s dominant depth more than the fact that they have five players averaging double digits. Oscar Tshiebwe leads the way as the forward is averaging 16.3 points, 15.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
The rest of the Wildcats‘ leading scorers include TyTy Washington Jr (13.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.3 steals), Kellan Grady (12 points), Keion Brooks Jr (11.1 points, 4.6 rebounds), and Sahvir Wheeler (10.8 points, 6.9 assists, 1.3 steals).
Take Kentucky To Win And Cover
Vanderbilt was able to keep it respectable when they hosted Kentucky, only losing by 12 points back in early January. Playing at Rupp Arena, though, it will be a whole new challenge for the Commodores.
Pippen is fantastic for Vanderbilt, but aside from him, they just don’t have the depth or firepower to run with Kentucky.
The Wildcats flexed in an 18-point win over No. 10 Kansas on Saturday and expect them to do the same in this one in front of their home crowd.
Take Kentucky to both win and cover the 16.5-point spread.
