You do not want to miss this Tuesday night Best Bet
After a bizarre first weekend in the NCAA Tournament, many sports bettors are searching for a way to build, or in some cases rebuild, their bankroll for the upcoming Sweet 16. With the Big Dance resuming on Thursday, there are still quite a few bettors craving an action fix. Your first bet with BetMGM is RISK FREE up to […]
After a bizarre first weekend in the NCAA Tournament, many sports bettors are searching for a way to build, or in some cases rebuild, their bankroll for the upcoming Sweet 16. With the Big Dance resuming on Thursday, there are still quite a few bettors craving an action fix.
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– make your first deposit
And your first bet is RISK FREE! Meaning, if your first bet loses, you get that money back in free bets. It’s a great way to jump start your bank roll at BetMGM.
The NIT takes center stage in the college basketball world on Tuesday as four of the remaining eight teams in the tournament are in action. The Vanderbilt Commodores make the trek up to Cincinnati, Ohio, to do battle with Xavier University with a trip to Madison Square Garden on the line.
The Pick: Vanderbilt +2.5 (BetMGM)
Vandy has been on a tear in the month of March, winning five of its last six games. Not only has Vanderbilt been winning, but the team has also been a cover machine of late. In its last 15 games, Vandy has a 13-2 record against the spread.
It could be argued that the Commodores should be 14-1 ATS, but the backcourt tandem of Scotty Pippen Jr. and Rodney Chatman both missed two free throws late in Sunday’s overtime win over Dayton to fall just short of the number.
For the first time in five seasons, Vanderbilt was eligible for postseason play and head coach Jerry Stackhouse is not short-changing the NIT experience.
“People are like, 'Is it kind of a letdown about the NIT as opposed to NCAA?' Yeah, we feel like we're an NCAA team. We're playing like it right now. But for us and where we've been over the last couple of years — trying to build and create a foundation — we're excited to play,” said Stackhouse after Sunday’s win.
Xavier is coming off a dominant 72-56 win over the Florida Gators on Sunday. However, the win did not come without a cost for the Musketeers.
Fifth-year guard Paul Scruggs suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury in the second half against the Gators. Scruggs needed assistance to leave the floor before returning to the bench with crutches unable to put any weight on his leg.
Interim head coach Jonas Hayes did not comment on the injury on Monday, but it is hard to imagine Scruggs will be ready to play tonight. If Scruggs is unavailable for tonight’s contest, Xavier will be without its second-leading scorer (11.7 PPG) and leading assist man (4.1 APG).
Xavier has been rather inconsistent for much of the season, which is what landed them in the NIT to begin with. The Musketeers are just 2-7 ATS over the last nine games, making it difficult to lay two and a half points with a key starter potentially unavailable.
A win tonight for Vanderbilt would be another stepping stone for the basketball program, but perhaps it could also create the perfect distraction for finicky fans after the school announced a major change to its signature “V” logo.
Featured image via Nathan Ray Seebeck – USA TODAY Sports
