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The Kentucky Wildcats are set to face the Vanderbilt Commodores. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Kentucky Vanderbilt prediction, odds, and pick.
Kentucky has gone through a bumpy season, with lots of injuries getting in the way of head coach John Calipari's plans. The Wildcats had hoped Iowa transfer C.J. Fredrick would give them the perimeter shooting they needed last season, but as college basketball odds watchers know, Fredrick got injured for the season and will not be able to help Big Blue.
Last week, Kentucky was in a tight game at LSU. Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington both got hurt. The shorthanded Wildcats played hard on the road but couldn't overcome the loss of two key players. It has been a Murphy's Law season for a team which has also suffered a bad loss to Notre Dame. Some bad luck, some roster limitations, and the realities of a youthful roster have all contributed to a stop-and-start season for Kentucky, which is coming off a high-offense, low-defense win over a bad Georgia team this past weekend. Kentucky and Calipari know this team will have to defend a lot better in order to make any substantial push at the Final Four.
Vanderbilt has improved in recent weeks, but just when it seemed the Commodores were beginning to become a factor in the SEC, they stumbled. If you are considering a Kentucky Vanderbilt pick, you need to know that the Commodores — who reached the title game of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu on Christmas Day (a game against Stanford which was canceled due to COVID-19) — were making forward strides. They won at Arkansas. They defeated BYU. Coach Jerry Stackhouse was beginning to develop his players and create a sense of cohesion within the roster. However, Vanderbilt then turned around this past Saturday and lost at home to a not-very-good South Carolina team. VU needs to bounce back here, a key storyline in Cats-Dores for college basketball odds analysts.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Kentucky-Vanderbilt odds:
College Basketball odds: Kentucky-Vanderbilt Odds
Kentucky: -8.5 (-104)
Vanderbilt: +8.5 (-118)
Over: 145 (-105)
Under: 145 (-115)
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Why Kentucky Could Cover the Spread
The Wildcats showed in their blowout win over North Carolina a few weeks ago that they are capable of turning on the jets at both ends of the floor. Big Blue showed how much its athleticism and length can bother opposing teams. What also has to be said when contemplating a Kentucky Vanderbilt prediction is that Vandy's loss to South Carolina at home shows how low VU's floor is. Vanderbilt's ceiling is higher now than it was a month ago. The wins over BYU and Arkansas show what Vanderbilt is capable of when at its best. However, the Dores at their worst are still a below-average team. If Kentucky does not get the best version of Vanderbilt, it should win rather easily.
Why Vanderbilt Could Cover the Spread
The Commodores were looking ahead to Kentucky when they played South Carolina. It happens all the time in college sports. Young athletes feel they can cruise to victory against a lesser team and save up their energy for the big game against Kentucky. Vanderbilt got burned doing that on Saturday. Now that the Commodores have been stung, though, they are going to redouble their efforts and go all-out to beat Kentucky. The game is at home. Kentucky is not playing its best basketball. The opening is there for an upset.
Final Kentucky Vanderbilt Prediction & Pick
Kentucky is vulnerable, but Vanderbilt is erratic and not dependable. Kentucky will probably win this game straight up, but eight and a half points is a lot. Vanderbilt has improved over the last three weeks. The Commodores, angered by their poor performance against South Carolina, will compete well enough to keep this close until the final seconds. Kentucky by five.
Final Kentucky Vanderbilt Pick: Vanderbilt +8.5
