Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Kentucky Wildcats Betting Preview
Where: Rupp Arena — Lexington, Kentucky
When: Tuesday, February 28, 2017, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Vanderbilt Commodores (+10.5) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (-10.5); total: 149.5 – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
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Betting on the Vanderbilt Commodores (16-13, 9-7 SEC)
Bryce Drew and Co. want to go dancing, and the result of this final road game with No. 9 Kentucky could massively strengthen their chance of doing so.
At present, the Commodores carry a 16-13 overall record—9-7 in conference play—and have put together four wins in a row (4-0 ATS). During that run, they’ve inflicted havoc on both ends of the hardwood, posting 71.7 points per contest and limiting each opponent to no more than 67 points.
The 87-81 home loss to the then-No. 6 Wildcats on Jan. 11 should be another reminder to not overlook this Vanderbilt team. The Commodores were still within striking distance throughout the entire game, despite missing several open shots. They’re particularly lethal from beyond the arc, averaging 10.0 three-pointers per game (11th in the nation) this season.
Matthew Fisher-Davis leads them in that department with 74 threes, as well as in scoring with 15.0 points per outing.
Betting on the Kentucky Wildcats (24-5, 14-2 SEC)
UK won’t just be aiming to extend its winning streak to seven games, but is also eager to send off Derek Willis, Dominique Hawkins and Mychal Mulder on a winning note as the three seniors play their final game at Rupp.
The Wildcats’ latest win came on Saturday against a fellow ranked Florida team, and it wasn’t an easy one. John Calipari’s men had to rally twice from an eight-point deficit, while needing every speck of Malik Monk’s efforts (33 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds) to bring home the 76-66 win.
Freshman forward Edrice Adebayo also continued flexing his muscle in the shaded lane, finishing with 18 points and 15 boards to become the first UK player since Jared Prickett (1994) to grab 15 rebounds in back-to-back outings.
Kentucky boasts a +11.8 rebounding margin in its current six-game run, which is something that the program hopes to keep up against the Commodores, who were outrebounded (40-34) in the first meeting this season.
Writer’s Prediction
Kentucky (-10.5) wins, 81-70.
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