It will be a battle between SEC opponents when the Vanderbilt Commodores (6-9, 1-2 SEC) welcome the No. 24 Tennessee Volunteers (10-4, 1-2 SEC) to Memorial Gym. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 9, 2018, and will air on SEC Network.
Tennessee opened as a 2.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 140 points.
Tennessee Volunteers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores Free Prediction
In the Volunteers’ last outing, they defeated the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats, 76-65. The Volunteers made 18 of their 24 free throws (75.0 percent) and held the Wildcats to an offensive rebounding percentage of 24.2 (below their season average of 36.6). With 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting, Admiral Schofield was the top scorer from either team.
The Commodores were beaten by the South Carolina Gamecocks in their last contest, 71-60. Getting to the free throw line was one of South Carolina’s largest advantages. They had 39 free throw attempts, while Vanderbilt had just 20. Vanderbilt’s Matthew Fisher-Davis put up 12 points and five rebounds in the contest.
The aggressive Vanderbilt offense looks poised to dominate from the free throw line. The Commodores currently rank 21st in the nation with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.303, while Tennessee ranks 303rd in FTA rate allowed (0.289). Moreover, the Volunteers rank 59th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.468), while the Commodores rank 280th in effective field goal percentage (0.486).
Tennessee comes into the contest with records of 10-4 straight up (SU) and 7-5 against the spread (ATS). A little over half of the Volunteers’ games have finished over the total.
Meanwhile, Vanderbilt owns records of 6-9 SU and 1-11 ATS. Of the Commodores’ 12 games with betting action, 8 have finished under the total.
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Schofield (13.0 points and 6.8 rebounds) has been fantastic for the Volunteers while Fisher-Davis (12.8 points and 2.0 steals) has made great contributions to the Commodores.
After splitting two games last season, these teams will clash for the first time this year. The Commodores won the most recent contest 67-56. The Commodores had a better turnover percentage (7.0 vs. 12.0) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.439 vs. 0.315).
Tennessee Volunteers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Tennessee, ATS Winner – Tennessee, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Tennessee is 5-1 ATS with 4 overs and 2 unders.
At home, Vanderbilt is 0-6 ATS with 3 overs and 3 unders.
Tennessee ranks 16th in assists per game (17.9) while Vanderbilt ranks 185th (12.5).
The Commodores rank 38th in three pointers attempted per game (26.1) while the Volunteers rank 138th (21.9).
Vanderbilt ranks 10th in steals allowed per game (4.6) while Tennessee ranks 84th (6.3).
The Volunteers rank 25th in blocks per game (5.3) while the Commodores rank 98th in blocks allowed per game (3.7).
Vanderbilt averages 36.7 rebounds per game, which ranks 113th in the NCAA. Tennessee ranks 166th in rebounds allowed per game (36.0).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Tennessee is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Vanderbilt is 1-2 ATS with 2 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Volunteers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 4.6, down from 9.1 for the season.
During their last five games, the Commodores have scored an average of 76.6 points per game (5.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 65.2 points per game (4.5 below their season average).
