The No. 4 seed Vanderbilt Commodores (19-16) head to Cintas Center in Cincinnati to take on the No. 2 seed Xavier Musketeers (20-13) in the third round of the NIT Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Vanderbilt vs. Xaver odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
The Musketeers are coming off a 72-56 win over the Florida Gators where they covered as 2.5-point favorites. Xavier shot just 20% from deep yet made 16 of 22 free throws.
Xavier is just 2-7 against the spread (ATS) over its last nine games. It is 15-18 ATS on the year and snuck into the top 25 for a few-week stretch. It has won three of its last four games straight up (SU).
Vanderbilt saw its NCAA Tournament hopes destroyed in a 77-71 loss to Kentucky in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. The Commodores beat top-seeded Dayton 70-68 in overtime but did not cover as 3.5-point favorites last time out.
Vandy is 13-2 ATS over its last 15 games and is 22-13 ATS on the season. It is led by G Scottie Pippen Jr., who is averaging 20.2 points per game.
See also: Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports
Vanderbilt at Xavier odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:50 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Vanderbilt +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Xavier -180 (bet $180 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Vanderbilt +3.5 (-108) | Xavier -3.5 (-112)
- Over/Under (O/U): 142.5 (O: -107 | U: -115)
[tipico]
Vanderbilt at Xavier odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Xavier 76, Vanderbilt 70
Money line
PASS.
I like Xavier here, especially at home, but not at the -180 price tag.
Against the spread
BET on XAVIER -3.5 (-112).
The Musketeers were awful in conference play, but with teams like Villanova and Providence in the Sweet 16, there’s some argument to be made the Big East is the best conference in the nation.
Xavier struggled heavily against the Big East, but it was 10-3 ATS against non-conference opponents.
The Musketeers have many athletes that can guard Pippen Jr. along with having several different key scorers with five players averaging over 10 points per game.
The Musketeers also allow just 15.2 free throw attempts per game. Vandy lives at the line, averaging 21.6 per game, the 14th-most in the nation. That’s another key to consider, especially with Xavier having home-court advantage.
Lastly, Xavier is led in scoring by 7-foot C Jack Nunge who shoots 54.2% from the field. Vandy allowed SEC opponents to shoot 53.2% from two-point range. Nunge should abuse it in the paint and help the Musketeers cover.
Over/Under
LEAN to the OVER 142.5 (-107).
Vandy lives at the line which has helped it score without wasting time.
That’s one reason it is 20-15 O/U this season. Xavier is 15-17-1 O/U. The Musketeers went over 145 points in both games against Saint John’s, a team that also features a single dominant guard.
While it plays at a quicker pace than Vandy, the Commodores are 13-3 O/U over their last 16. Xavier is 6-4 O/U in its last 10.
Considering the trends, I like the Over here.
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