Two first-year head coaches will bring both teams to the Charleston Classic title game undefeated as Vanderbilt meets Drake.
It would be a good chance for either coach to put an early marker down and claim some hardware. With that said, my Vanderbilt vs. Drake predictions expect the Commodores to take advantage of a unique spot today.
Read on for my free college basketball picks for Sunday, November 24 below.
Drake vs Vanderbilt prediction
My best bet
Vanderbilt -4 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
This is an uphill battle for the Drake Bulldogs in multiple ways. I'm not as strong on them as I otherwise would be because of my respect for head coach Ben McCollum. However, I'm still going against him.
For starters, Vanderbilt Commodores head coach Mark Byington is quite good in these spots. I gave high praise of McCollum at the onset, but Byington is well worth the acclaim, too. With both opponents on one day's rest at James Madison, Byington went 6-1 outright as a favorite. At Georgia Southern, Byington went 7-1 in the same spots. This sparkling short prep record is a solid indicator of your coaching understanding and gives me strong confidence to back him.
From a matchup standpoint, I also like how this shakes out for the Commodores. They've been a volume-scoring team at the rim this season, getting over 45% of their shots in that location while also being efficient in those spots. Drake is vulnerable there; the Bulldogs have given up a slightly above-average PPP this season on rim attacks and even worse with bigs cutting to the rim.
However, what makes this mean more is the outsized disparity between where Vandy has gotten its shots and where Drake has gotten them. With each of these teams playing their third game in four days, fatigue becomes a factor later in the game. Vanderbilt getting 7% more of its shots at the rim than Drake gives it a significant advantage in this regard, as it's easier to deal with fatigue when you're not relying on jump shots.
Vandy was highly clinical in the halfcourt against Seton Hall, which was the game that got them here. That means a lot in this spot, as they'll face a similar defensive test today. Drake wants to slow you down, drag you in the mud, and make you regularly execute in the halfcourt, which sounds exactly like what its previous opponent wants to do.
Posting 1.14 points per possession against a halfcourt defense like the Pirates has given me some confidence the Commodores can post a similar number here.
Drake vs Vanderbilt same-game parlay
Vanderbilt -4
Vanderbilt team total Over 73.5
We kept it simple and paired Vandy to topple its team total with our best bet. Projecting anywhere from 66 to 69 possessions gets us in good range to go Over this mark. Anticipating some late-game fouling to extend the game certainly helps, too.
However, Vanderbilt should be able to rely on regular rim finishing from Devin McGlockton and AJ Hoggard, who both rank in the Top 15% of basketball in paint points per game.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Drake vs Vanderbilt odds
Drake vs Vanderbilt live odds
Drake vs Vanderbilt opening odds
- Spread: Drake +4 | Vanderbilt -4
- Moneyline: Drake +150 | Vanderbilt -180
- Over/Under: Over 144.5 | Under 144.5
Odds courtesy of bet365.
Drake vs Vanderbilt betting trend to know
Vanderbilt has stayed Under the total in 19 of its last 33 games for +3.7 units and a 10% ROI. Find more college basketball betting trends for Drake vs. Vanderbilt.
How to watch Drake vs Vanderbilt
| Location: | TD Arena, Ottawa, ON |
| Date: | Sunday, 11-24-2024 |
| Tip-off: | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
Drake vs Vanderbilt key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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