Texas vs. Vanderbilt: SEC Tournament Predictions (Wednesday)
The SEC Tournament kicks off today in Nashville, Tennessee as one of the most anticipated tournaments among the power conferences. As the tournament currently projects, 13 different SEC teams are in the tournament with the conference ranking as one of the best in the KenPom era. Even the 16-seeded South Carolina got some heralded wins and might've been a tournament team if it was in the ACC. However, the focus is on the top. Auburn is currently the consensus favorite to win the SEC tournament at +150, followed close behind by Florida (+250), Alabama (+425) and Tennessee (+600). Not only are these top SEC teams but all four rank in the top-six nationally. There's a decent chance your national champion is in that group there. Johni Broome is battling with Cooper Flagg for the Wooden Award and Auburn is fighting for Duke for title favorites but there is no question: the SEC is the best conference this year. Not surprisingly, all those teams have a bye today. Here are our top picks for Wednesday’s game Texas vs. Vanderbilt.
- NCAA College Basketball Odds
- NCAA College Basketball Player Props
- NCAA College Basketball Picks & Predictions
- NCAA College Basketball Matchups
Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>
Wednesday’s Best SEC Tournament Bets: Texas vs. Vanderbilt
(All bets are one unit)
Texas vs. Vanderbilt
Location: Bridgestone Arena | Nashville, TN
Line: Vanderbilt -2.0 | Total: 148.5
The two bubble teams going against one another in the SEC I'm most excited for this fine Wednesday afternoon are Texas and Vanderbilt. Vandy can, in theory, lose this game and still make the tournament but Texas is on the outside looking in. When these two teams met in February, Vandy came back from a 10-point deficit, scoring 30 points in the final 10 minutes to take down the Longhorns.
The first thing to note in this game is how Vandy is playing in their own backyard. There probably won't be an elevated court here but there is at least a little bit of an advantage sleeping in your own bed the night before. The second note is that Texas is not only playing for their tournament life but Rodney Terry is coaching for his career. If I'm in that situation, how can you not go to the best player on the court? Tre Johnson is a lottery pick in the making with some sharp shooting and play-making potential. One of Vandy's biggest weaknesses is perimeter defense, allowing opponents to shoot over 37 percent from deep, which ranks 343rd in the country. They also will allow a lot of free points with a high free throw rate allowed.
This game might come down to turnovers. Texas is good at ball control and while Vanderbilt can force them, if the first game is an indication, the Longhorns should win that battle. Considering the Commodores are number one in the nation at scoring quick points off turnovers. If Texas takes care of the ball, leans on their best player, and makes their perimeter looks like they should, this should be a win for Texas. I expect all those things to happen, so let's go with it.
Prediction: Texas 77, Vanderbilt 75
Best Bet: Texas Moneyline (+115 at BetMGM)