The No. 22 Vanderbilt Commodores (26-7) and No. 17 Arkansas Razorbacks (25-8) meet Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee, for the SEC Tournament final. Opening tip at Bridgestone Arena is at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA basketball odds around the Vanderbilt vs. Arkansas odds and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions for the best bets.
The fourth-seeded Commodores advanced to the conference title game with a 91-74 upset of the top-seeded Florida Gators Saturday. Vanderbilt won outright as a 7.5-point underdog while the Over (160.5) cashed. The Commodores shot 10-for-21 (48%) from 3-point range in winning their fourth in a row. G Tyler Tanner led Vanderbilt with 20 points, while C Jalen Washington added 17 off the bench
In Saturday’s other SEC semifinal, the third-seeded Razorbacks ended the Ole Miss’ Rebels Cinderella run with a 93-90 overtime thriller. Arkansas failed to cover as 9.5-point favorites and the Over (157.5) cashed. The Razorbacks are headed to the SEC final for the eighth time and their first since 2017. G Meleek Thomas led Arkansas with a game-high 29 points, while SEC Player and Freshman of the Year G Darius Acuff Jr. scored 24, including 5 points in overtime, and added 7 assists.
Arkansas won the only meeting between the teams this season, rolling to a 93-68 victory Jan. 20. The Razorbacks covered as 1.5-point home favorites while the Under (173.5) cashed. They shot 58% from the field (37 of 64), finished with 25 assists and had 6 players score in double figures, led by Acuff Jr.’s 17 points. F Tyler Nickel’s 17 points led 3 Vandy players in double figures.
– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
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Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 11:47 p.m. ET.
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Vanderbilt 88, Arkansas 83
PASS.
The Commodores (-150) will win their first SEC Tournament since 2012 — denying coach John Calipari his first with the Razorbacks (+125) and his seventh overall — but I’ll take the better odds on the spread.
BET VANDERBILT -2.5 (-115).
Vanderbilt comes into the SEC title game riding a ton of momentum after knocking off fourth-ranked Florida in the semifinals. The Commodores are playing their best basketball of the season and look like a completely different team than the one the Razorbacks blew out by 25 back in January, which coach Mark Byington even the loss “embarrassing.” This Vandy group has clearly grown since then.
There’s also a fatigue angle worth noting. Arkansas had to go to overtime to get past Ole Miss in Saturday’s semifinals, while Vanderbilt handled its business in regulation and should have fresher legs down the stretch. The Commodores have been balanced offensively, with multiple scoring options like Tanner (19.2 PPG before Saturday’s win) and G Duke Miles (16.5 PPG) helping keep things steady in the half court.
Arkansas still has the SEC’s top scorer in Acuff Jr. (22.7 PPG), who can take over at any moment, but Vanderbilt’s rebounding and half-court execution should help keep this game close. With the way the Commodores are playing right now, taking them to cover looks like the smart move.
BET OVER 165.5 (-110).
The Over stands out in this matchup which has cashed 6 of the last 7 meetings between Vanderbilt and Arkansas. Vandy has also hit the Over in 5 of its last 6 games while averaging 84.3 PPG. Arkansas has played Over in 7 of its last 8 and brings one of the most explosive offenses in the SEC, scoring 90.0 PPG — second in the SEC behind Alabama (91.7 PPG) and fourth in the country — and leading the conference in 3-point shooting (38.2%) – stats don’t include Saturday’s semifinals.
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