The best bet for tonight's slate of games in the SEC Tournament
March Madness and sports betting go hand-in-hand and college basketball fans are itching to get some in the game. That being said, the SEC Tournament has officially kicked off down in Tampa Bay. While the conference tournament certainly provides some unique betting opportunities, the teams left competing are jockeying to improve their position in next […]
March Madness and sports betting go hand-in-hand and college basketball fans are itching to get some in the game. That being said, the SEC Tournament has officially kicked off down in Tampa Bay. While the conference tournament certainly provides some unique betting opportunities, the teams left competing are jockeying to improve their position in next week’s NCAA Tournament.
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As of Thursday afternoon, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has six SEC teams qualifying for the Big Dance in his most recent Bracketology update. The Texas A&M Aggies survived an overtime scare against Florida as they continue to rack up wins as one of Lunardi’s “Next Four Out,” with hopes of hearing their name called on Selection Sunday.
While the premier teams in the conference are still one day away from hitting the hardwood, Thursday night in the conference tourney promises to be an evening of intrigue. Scheduled for 7:30 pm CT, Vanderbilt checks in as the 11-seed, squaring off against the 6-seed Alabama Crimson Tide.
Best Bet: Vandy vs Alabama OVER 149
This is a scoreboard operator’s worst nightmare with the way these two teams can put points on the board. Alabama (-5.5) is listed as the favorite and currently projects as a 6-seed, according to Lunardi. The total opened at 147 and has since ballooned to 149.
Despite the high total, this is the best bet of the entire night in the SEC. The total has gone over in six of Alabama’s last seven games while the over has a 9-3 mark in Vandy’s last 12 contests.
The Crimson Tide are averaging 80.1 points per game on the season, which ranks tied for first alongside Kentucky. The three-point shot has been an asset for both teams throughout the season. Alabama is knocking down an SEC best 9.3 threes per game while Vandy is right behind them converting on 8.6 triples per contest.
Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr. leads the SEC in scoring (20.3 PPG), but it is Alabama that counters with a trio averaging double figures on the season. Jaden Shackelford (16.6), Jahvon Quinnerly (14.3), and Keon Ellis (12.1) are each capable of going on individual runs to take a game over.
Of the 358 teams in Division I, Alabama ranks 317th in scoring defense giving up 76.2 PPG. Vanderbilt is nearly 10 points better, allowing opponents to score an average of 66.9 PPG, but they still sit outside of the top 100 in the nation when it comes to scoring defense.
Featured image via Gary Cosby Jr. – USA TODAY NETWORK
