UAB vs Vanderbilt Odds, Picks: How to Bet This NIT Quarterfinal

UAB vs Vanderbilt Odds

Wednesday, March 22

7 p.m. ET

ESPN2

UAB Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
-1 -110	152.5 -110o / -110u	-115

Vanderbilt Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
+1 -110	152.5 -110o / -110u	-105

Odds via bet365. Get up-to-the-minute college basketball odds here.

With all of the craziness surrounding the NCAA tournament, it's safe to say that the few days in between the Round of 32 and Sweet 16 are some of the longest days of the calendar year.

After spending four consecutive days of watching non-stop hoops action, every gambler will be looking for something else to turn to before the Sweet 16.

Luckily, we are blessed with the NIT, where we have the UAB Blazers taking on the Vanderbilt Commodores in what should be a terrific quarterfinal basketball game on Wednesday.

Many were disappointed when the Blazers'  Jordan "Jelly" Walker did not make the NCAA tournament field, but luckily, this standalone game will grab plenty of eyeballs.

Let's dive right into the breakdown to find some value for UAB vs. Vanderbilt.

UAB Blazers

There's a lot to like about this UAB team. It's easy to have an explosive offense with Walker running the show, but the Blazers do a few things particularly well that will exploit the Dores in this matchup.

First off, the Blazers are 43rd in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and are an excellent offensive rebounding team. A majority of their offensive damage comes from behind the arc, as well as the free-throw line, where they find themselves pretty often.

They should be able to exploit the Dores' inability to box out, especially since star big man Liam Robbins went down earlier last month with a season-ending injury.

I would expect the Blazers to get a numerous amount of scoring chances, and if they get hot from 3, I expect a boat load of points here.

Vanderbilt Commodores

I spoke about the Blazers' ability to get hot from 3, but this Vandy offense is no slouch. The Dores still find themselves with a top-25 unit in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency, and that's even more impressive considering how important Robbins was to this team.

The Dores aren't too explosive on offense, but they do a great job of protecting the basketball.

Jerry Stackhouse's team prides itself on wasting no possessions on offense, as it's one of the better teams in the country when it comes to putting up quality shot attempts.

Jordan Wright will look to bounce back from his two latest mediocre performances, as he went 0-of-6 from downtown in the Dores' win over Michigan on Saturday. We should expect a much better performance here against a Blazers team that allows a lot of 3-point attempts.

It's concerning that the Dores do not force many turnovers, and they allow a lot of clean shot attempts on the defensive end of the floor. This could be a game where they could allow some big runs if the Blazers' offense is clicking.

The Dores aren't known for pushing the tempo, but I could see them be a bit more aggressive on offense if the Blazers start off hot.

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UAB vs. Vanderbilt Betting Pick

I think this matchup will come down to the wire, and there's a good chance that we may even get overtime.

Due to this, I think it's too risky to take a side in this matchup, and the real play here is the over.

There's a lot working in our favor with this total sitting at 153.5, especially when it comes to a Blazers team that loves to ramp up the tempo. The public seems to be all in on the under, but a ton of sharp money has already been pouring in on the over.

With all of the factors mentioned above, get your hoops fix in before the Sweet 16 and take this over to the bank.

Pick: Over 153.5 (Play to 154.5)