Nelly’s NCAA Major Conference Clash 3-1 RUN
- Handicapper
- Nelly's Sports
- League
- NCAAB
- Competition
- SMU vs Vanderbilt
- Release Date
- 12/03/2025 07:42 AM
- Event Date
- 12/03/2025 09:15 PM
- Bet Type
- Point Spread
- Pick
-
Vanderbilt -10.5 (-110)
(BetMGM)
- Outcome
- Win
- Analysis
- A double-digit underdog in a battle of 8-0 teams might sound enticing but there is likely a big gap between SMU and Vanderbilt this season. Andy Enfield’s second season in Dallas is off to a great start, but the Mustangs have played just one game away from home. It was Friday’s game at Mississippi State, and the win required a miraculous comeback and overtime. Mississippi State is expected to be one of the worst SEC teams while Vanderbilt is expected to be a serious SEC contender. The only other top 100 win for SMU this season came hosting Butler and that was a two-point win. SMU has good returning experience from a 24-11 team that was in the NIT last season but ultimately doesn’t look like a team that will make a big leap of improvement. The potential of the Mustangs will be told with three more non-conference games vs. SEC teams in the first two weeks of December with this being likely the toughest of those games. Vanderbilt is coming off sweeping three games in the Bahamas last week as the Commodores are 8-0 with a nice collection of five top 150 wins including top 50 wins last Thursday and Friday. Vanderbilt beat VCU by 15 and Saint Mary’s by 25, showing versatility in beating teams with very different paces and styles in back-to-back days. The offensive efficiency for the Commodores ranks in the top five nationally while this is also a top 30 defense, one of only a few teams nationally with top 30 rankings on both sides of the ball and Vanderbilt has faced a decent strength of schedule. Mark Byington got this team to the NCAA Tournament last season in his first season after nice runs as Georgia Southern and James Madison and now playing with major conference talent and a veteran team, the sky is the limit for this team. All but one win this season has come by 15 or more points for Vanderbilt and SMU’s current pace of allowing just over 29 percent from 3-point range won’t be sustainable facing Vanderbilt’s elite outside shooting potential. Vanderbilt has an incredibly low turnover rate, and this is the only prominent game in the first half of December for the Commodores as tonight’s game should provide a focused effort. SMU didn’t win a non-conference road game last season and didn’t beat a single top 50 team all last season despite the strong record.
Thank you for playing with Nelly’s and Best of Luck.
