College Basketball Odds – #22 Vandy Fights To Hold National Ranking

Those who follow the college basketball betting odds know that the Vanderbilt Commodores are fighting gamely to hold on to their national ranking. On Thursday night the ‘Dores will play host to the Alabama Crimson Tide in SEC action that begins at 9 PM ET at the Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville. Vandy is the 6.5-point favorite in the college basketball odds.

College Basketball Odds

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Alabama Crimson Tide (15-7 SU, 9-9 ATS) at #22 Vanderbilt Commodores (16-6 SU, 10-5-1 ATS)

Live at Memorial Gymnasium

Nashville, TN

Thursday, February 10 – 9 PM ET

TV:   ESPN

College Basketball Odds:

Vanderbilt  -6.5

Alabama  +6.5

Here are the trends that relate to the college basketball odds on this game:

• Alabama has won ten of its last eleven games SU
• Alabama has covered eight of its last ten games
• Alabama has covered two of its last eight road games
• Alabama has lost 12 of its last 16 road games SU
• Alabama has played nine of its last 12 road games OVER the total
• Vanderbilt has won 14 of its last 19 games SU
• Vanderbilt has won 13 of its last 14 home games SU

Vanderbilt, which has a pretty good record of 10-5-1 ATS in the college basketball odds, has had opportunities to improve its national ranking. The Commodores had routed Saint Mary’s, then scored a road win against a talented (though underachieving) Mississippi State squad. but they followed that with consecutive losses against Arkansas and Florida, and though that may not have done big damage to their NCAA hopes, they had to show that they could recover. A win by 18 over South Carolina, where Vandy shot 51% and covered an eleven-point number in the college basketball odds, may have done that, but we need to see some more.

These are the head-to-head trends that affect college basketball odds on this matchup:

• Four of the last six meetings have gone OVER the total
• Vanderbilt has covered six of the last eight meetings as the home team
• Vanderbilt has won seven of the last eight meetings SU as the home team
• Alabama has had the shooting edge in four of the last six meetings
• Alabama has had the rebounding edge in eight of the last ten meetings
• Vanderbilt has made more three-pointers in nine of the last ten meetings

These teams haven’t met in over a year, when Vandy went to Tuscaloosa and barely pulled out a one-point win (and a cover in the college basketball odds). And that was after ‘Bama blew a ten-point second-half lead. We’ve got some different conditions surrounding this game. For one thing, Alabama is really clicking on defense under coach Anthony Grant, and they are one of the toughest teams to shoot against in the country, allowing just 36% field goals. There’s a lockdown defender in Senario Hillman who can stop either of Vandy’s guards who may look like he’s getting the hot hand (likely John Jenkins). And the Tide, which has one of the better centers in the entire country in JeMychal Green, can certainly compete up front. Remember that Lance Goulbourne, an enforcer who is slowed by an ankle sprain, has scored four points in the last three games. Alabama has NCAA ta-large hopes, and this is big for them. This one will be tight all the way. We are on the "take" with the dog in the college basketball odds.

JAY’S PLAY:  ALABAMA +6.5 ****
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

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