SEC Tournament Championship: Vanderbilt vs Mississippi
Will Mississippi State be able to defend their SEC Tournament championship that they won a year ago? It won’t be easy, but they can take the next step towards doing that in Saturday afternoon’s betting odds.
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No. 23 Vanderbilt Commodores (24-7 SU, 16-13 ATS) vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (22-10 SU, 14-12-1 ATS): SEC Semifinal
Saturday, March 13: 3:00 p.m. ABC
NCAA Betting Odds: Vanderbilt -1.5
Here are some NCAA Betting Trends which may impact this game:
Vanderbilt: 3-1 ATS in their last 4 games
Vanderbilt: 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
Mississippi State: 3-4-1 ATS in their last 8 games
Mississippi State: 1-2 SU in their last 3 games 
Much like last year, the Bulldogs are in a sticky situation, and may very well have to win the whole thing in Nashville, if they want to go to the NCAA Tournament. They took the first step towards that goal Friday night, by defeating Florida.
In that game, the Bulldogs got an excellent team effort to seal the victory. No one player stood out, but several had big games, with all five starters scoring in double figures. Guard Barry Stewart may have been the hero, as he scored a team-high 17 points including five late free throws to seal the victory. Center Jarvis Varnardo was spectacular as usual with 15 points and four blocks.
As for Vanderbilt, they entered the SEC Tournament as a dark horse to beat Kentucky and claim the crown. In their first game of the tournament they dominated as expected, beating Georgia 78-66.
The Commodores are deep and talented, and were led Friday night by freshman John Jenkins, who scored a team high 25 points. Center A.J. Ogilvy added 10 points down low.
Speaking of Ogilvy, that will be the key matchup Saturday afternoon: Who will have the upper-hand between he and Varnardo. Each is their team’s best big player as Ogilvy averages about 14 points and six rebounds a game, and Varnardo 13 points and 10 rebounds.
However, as good as those two are, the Commodores are better on the perimeter, which is why they should be your pick in the betting odds. Jenkins is having a fine freshman year averaging 11 points per game, with Jeff Taylor and Jermaine Beal combining for over 28 as well.
The simple truth is that there’s just more talent on Vanderbilt than there is on Mississippi State. It’s why they beat the Bulldogs in the regular season, and why they will do the same Saturday. Make the Commodores your pick in the betting odds.
Our Pick: Vanderbilt -1.5
