The Vanderbilt Commodores take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, AL. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Alabama is favored by 12 points on the spread with a moneyline of -850. The total is set at 169 points.
Here are my Vanderbilt vs. Alabama predictions and college basketball picks for January 21, 2025.
Vanderbilt vs Alabama Odds
| Vanderbilt Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12 -110 | 169 -110 / -110 | +575 |
| Alabama Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12 -110 | 169 -110 / -110 | -850 |
- Vanderbilt vs Alabama spread: Alabama -12
- Vanderbilt vs Alabama over/under: 169 points
- Vanderbilt vs Alabama moneyline: Alabama -850, Vanderbilt +575
- Vanderbilt vs Alabama best bet: Alabama -11.5 (Play to -14.5)
My Vanderbilt vs Alabama best bet is on the Tide spread, with the best odds currently available at Caesars. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Vanderbilt vs Alabama NCAAB Betting Preview
Alabama broke through last spring and made the program’s first Final Four.
And with that kind of success comes expectations. The AP and Coaches Polls rewarded Bama with a No. 2 preseason ranking.
But then Alabama took two losses before December and tumbled down the rankings. National Player of the Year candidate Mark Sears struggled during the Tide’s first eight games. A knockdown shooter and elite playmaker, Sears was suddenly struggling to find his stroke (28% 3P) and had nearly as many turnovers as he did assists through the end of November.
But that rough patch for both Sears and head coach Nate Oats is officially a thing of the past.
Alabama has won nine of 10, including four victories over ranked opponents. Sears is averaging 21/6/3 on 39% shooting from deep since the calendar turned to December.
The Tide have also taken a massive step forward on the defensive end, elevating their defensive rating from 87th last season to 23rd, according to Evan Miyakawa.
You can see the defensive upgrade in two major ways. Opponents aren’t getting quality looks on a consistent basis. Last season, Alabama ranked outside the top 125 in effective field goal percentage defense. This season, it's 31st in the same statistical category.
And despite playing at the nation’s fastest tempo, the Tide’s defensive upgrades have limited opponents' runs. In 18 games, Alabama has surrendered just two “Kill Shots,” which are runs of 10-0 or more.
Among power conference teams, only Cincinnati and Houston have allowed fewer runs, and the Bearcats and Cougars are defensive stoppers (9th and 1st).
The offense is humming, the defense is finally pulling its weight and Vanderbilt enters in a perfect letdown spot after shocking Tennessee at home on Saturday.
Mark Byington, the architect of James Madison’s 32-win team from last season, has given Vandy an impressive identity in short order. The Commodores like to speed teams up and force turnovers. Vandy is fifth nationally in turnover margin and averages 14 fast break points per game.
But you can’t speed up Alabama — it rolls out of bed and is ready to play at warp speed.
And any turnovers committed by the Tide can be balanced out by their elite work on the offensive glass (12.3 OReb, 11th).
Pick: Alabama -11.5 (Play to -14.5)
