It will be a battle between Southeastern opponents when the No. 23 Kentucky Wildcats (14-4) welcome the Vanderbilt Commodores (11-7) to Rupp Arena. Action begins at 4:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 23 and can be seen on ESP and ES3.
The Wildcats were victorious over Arkansas 80-66 on Thursday. Tyler Ulis was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points on 4-for-10 shooting. The Commodores, meanwhile, are coming off an 88-74 win against Tennessee on Wednesday. Wade Baldwin IV led the team in scoring by registering 25 points on 5-for-9 shooting.
Over the last five games, Ulis has really been playing well for the Wildcats. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 three-pointers.
Kentucky is a five-point favorite against Vanderbilt and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 144 points. Despite a 14-4 Straight Up (SU) record, the Wildcats have not fared well Against The Spread (ATS) with a 7-11 record. Teams have a tough time keeping Kentucky off of the offensive glass. They rank 13th in Division I in offensive rebounds. As for the Kentucky defense, an area where the Wildcats are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 5.6 blocks per game, 15th in Division I.
Across the court, the Commodores head into the game with records of 9-7 ATS and 11-7 SU. The Vanderbilt defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only 4.0 field goals from three-point range per game. Blocking shots is an area where Vanderbilt has excelled. The Commodores average 5.6 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time these conference rivals played, Kentucky won, moving its SU record against Vanderbilt to 7-3 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. On the other hand, with an 8-2 record, Vanderbilt has the advantage ATS. During their latest five matchups, neither team ever held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Kty, ATS Winner – Vandy, O/U – Over
Notes
Kentucky is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kentucky’s last 6 games.
Kentucky is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games.
Kentucky is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home.
Kentucky is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games at home.
Kentucky is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Vanderbilt.
Kentucky is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Vanderbilt.
Kentucky is 18-4 SU in its last 22 games when playing at home against Vanderbilt.
The Kentucky Wildcats average 77.4 points per game, ranking 90th in the nation. The Vanderbilt Commodores rank 51st in points allowed with 65.8.
Ranked 19th, the Vanderbilt Commodores have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 93.1 points per 100 possessions. The Kentucky Wildcats rank 57th in offense, scoring 112.5 points in the same number of possessions.
The Vanderbilt Commodores average 70.6 possessions per game and 1.117 points per possession. The Kentucky Wildcats earn fewer possessions with 68.8, but they score more points with 1.125.
Vanderbilt has an average effective field goal percentage of 54.1%. Kentucky is an even 1-1 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Kentucky Wildcats average 17.0 three point attempts per game, while the Vanderbilt Commodores attempt 21.0. When attempting 20 or more three pointers in a game, Kentucky has a winning record of 5-2, while Vanderbilt is an even 5-5.
Vanderbilt ranks 70th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.25. Kentucky is ranked lower at 168th with an A/TO of 1.07.
Kentucky is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 13th. Vanderbilt ranks ninth in defensive rebounds.
On average, Vanderbilt forces a turnover rate of 16.1%. When Kentucky turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a formidable 11-2 record.
