Vanderbilt vs Alabama would be a huge mismatch on the football field, but it is a much more competitive game on the basketball court. On Thursday, the Commodores and Crimson Tide square off on the hardwood in the second round of the SEC tournament, with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line. And in our college basketball predictions for Thursday, we offer up our best bet for this matchup in the Southeastern Conference.
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Vanderbilt vs Alabama Betting Pick
This game will be played at Amalie Arena at 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, March 10, 2022.
Why Bet On Vanderbilt:
✅ While this line seems like a gift to Alabama bettors, Vanderbilt has been playing better basketball than one would expect from the Commodores. They very nearly beat Alabama at home just a couple of weeks ago, putting a real scare into the Crimson Tide. Vanderbilt should be able to cover the number here as a multi-possession underdog, as they clearly have figured out how to breach the Alabama defense.
✅ A big reason for the success of Vanderbilt offensively against Alabama was Scottie Pippen Jr., who was able to get to the free throw line at will against the Crimson Tide. Pippen averages over 20 points per game, and may be the best offensive player on the floor in a game full of quality offensive players here. He will keep the Commodores in this game.
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✅ Alabama has been wildly inconsistent all season long, and that could come back to haunt them here. The Crimson Tide ended their regular season with a two-game losing streak that included a 16-point home loss to Texas A&M, who finished with a .500 record in league play this season. An improving Vanderbilt team is a better bet right now than an inconsistent Alabama team.
Vanderbilt Commodores
The Vanderbilt Commodores kicked off their SEC tournament with a blowout win over the Georgia Bulldogs on Wednesday night. Vanderbilt beat Georgia by a final score of 86-51, destroying the Bulldogs from start to finish in that matchup. Now, the Commodores have a chance at revenge against the Crimson Tide after suffering a heartbreaking loss against them just a couple of weeks ago.
If Vanderbilt is going to get the job done in this game, it will begin and end with the play of Scottie Pippen Jr. The Vanderbilt guard practically lived at the free throw line against the Tide at home earlier this season, and will need to generate free points from the line again in this matchup. If he can continue to draw contact and cause foul trouble for Alabama, Vanderbilt has a legitimate shot to win this game.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama’s strange regular season concluded with a pair of losses heading into conference tournament play. The Crimson Tide lost to Texas A&M and LSU in the final two games of their season, planting the seeds of doubt heading into SEC tournament action. The question for Alabama is whether they can rebound from a very disappointing SEC campaign to advance to the quarterfinal round in Tampa.
This game will come down to which version of Alabama we see on the floor on Thursday. When at their best, Alabama is one of the toughest teams in the country to slow down, but their best has been too few and far between throughout the 2021-2022 campaign. They will need to execute offensively in this game to build confidence for their defense against an underrated Vanderbilt offense.